Eternal Darkness (A Novel of the Amagarians Book 1) (11 page)

She leaned in, placing her elbows on the stone table, settling in for an intensive discussion on
trading opportunities.

***

Drac observed the grace and femininity that Saieke presented as she spoke with passion to Lachlan. She was obviously spirited in everything she did, not just bed play. He banished the thought instantly. She had incredible insight, and her admiration of their kingdom
seemed genuine.

He could detect no
negative emotions.

She could have kept her insight hidden, to keep the advantage for her kingdom. Instead, she extolled to Lachlan the wealth they possessed and how they could be used for trading purposes. Lachlan told her about their oil, wine, and weaponry. She laughed and talked
almost incessantly.

Drac was
completely riveted.

She radiated with life and vitality. And he found it all too appealing. It was getting more difficult to proceed
with caution.

I want you as my consort

She risked a lot. To take a lover now was inviting death. Coldness settled inside of him. His beast brushed against his mind as if concerned for her. He’d surmised she fled from her nation and had intended to travel to Earth. The dimension gateway was a few miles from their northern border would have been the only reason for the princess and her Queen’s blades to risk moving so close to the Darkage. Escaping to Earth was a viable plan, as many Amagarians actually crossed over and remained there. The only thing he found of interest on Earth was that humans did not have
chakra
. His kind fed off their blood, which did not hold negative essences, so the darkness that lived in all Darkans was subjugated and had difficulty rearing
its head.

She must have been desperate to concoct such a plan. Instead, she was in the Darkage and would be sent back to her kingdom in a few days. Drac inhaled deeply as he thought on her obvious plan: lose her virginity and she could not wed someone of a
royal line.

This was true for all nations except his. The laws that governed them were abhorrent to the other kingdoms. He was not sure if she had thought out the consequences to tempting him either. He wanted her with a need that was driving him crazy, and it would amount to almost an impossibility to stay away from her if she was
his mate.

His beast was silent inside as if waiting for him to realize what it already knew. The shadows deepened in his mind and
he jolted.

It was subtle but it
was there.

His demon beast
felt contentment.

“The potential for your kingdom to improve its wealth is vast,” Saieke said to Drac as he strolled with her through the gardens leading to
the castle.

“You honor us by your willingness to learn about our kingdom. But it will take more than your assessment for us to be viewed as people,” he
said softly.

Regret for the disdain they suffered pierced her. “Your king is bold in his thinking. For a kingdom to change how they are perceived, they need such boldness…from
Ricarkri
and citizens. And the beauty of your kingdom must be shared,” she murmured wistfully as a small winged creature, with bold strokes of orange and blue dotting it wings
flapped by.

They just needed one kingdom to break the cycle of revulsion and form a trade agreement. It would be a hard undertaking. Their legends were just too dark and filled with blood-letting.

Saieke gazed on the black starless sky aching for Drac. “Why do you not speak of what passed
between us?”

Her breath hitched at the hot flare of desire that burned from his
chakra,
but then it was contained tightly. She could feel every nuance of Drac’s stare as he caressed her with his eyes, yet he did not engage her line
of conversation.

“You are to dine with the king and the elders of the castle in a few hours. Entertainment has been organized for
your pleasure.”

“I thank you and the king for such attentiveness to my comfort.” She was confounded by his reticence. The desire was mutual, and it befuddled her that he would restrain
himself so.

“You have a penchant for ignoring questions, Drac?” She laughed teasingly at the hooded look he
gave her.

“The only discourse between us, Princess, will be about
the Darkage.”

“As you feel my negative emotions, I can feel your lust for me from your
chakra
. It is a feeling I return. I am not frightened if you desire to take me roughly, I will
not break.”

His rough chuckle slid into her, stirring deep longing for something hotter. Darkness shifted into his eyes, and the savageness of what released from his
chakra
made
her stumble.

“You did that deliberately.” She slowed her pace as she saw the castle entrance ahead. “Do you wish to scare me away
from you?”

She swallowed as his body was suddenly pressed intimately against her. Saieke tilted her head and met the flatness of his
gaze unflinchingly.

“Not to scare you Princess…..but you step fearlessly where you should tread with caution.” The rough timbre of his voice had her wetting
her lips.

“Will we be lovers?” she whispered against his mouth as she tilted her face upwards to rest her lips
against his.

With a muttered curse, he lifted her and moved. Darkness blanketed Saieke’s mind, petrifying her for precious seconds. The darkness uncloaked from her, revealing
her chambers.

She gaped
at him.

“Rest, Princess. Enjoy the feast and entertainment planned for
your honor.”

She sighed as he vanished. She untied the strings of her caftan, letting the soft material slither off her skin. She flashed to the bath chambers and sank into the heat of the water. Her power flowed, stirring and foaming the water as she raised it above her like a fall. She luxuriated in her element, and she mused on how to get Drac into more serious bed play. She would enjoy the feast and entertainment that had been prepared for her, and plan another way to seduce him…without losing
her heart.

***

The next two days passed in a blur of revelry, deep discussions and meetings with the king and high lords of his western quadrant, with no alone time with the man dominating all her evocative dreams. She had met several courtiers who had greeted her with hostility, but the welcome she received from the ladies buffered the sting and fear. She had been given tours of their great library housing their history by Lachlan, where she had been allowed to read selected scrolls, and Saieke had immersed herself in learning how they had evolved as a society over the centuries. She’d felt a stab of sorrow for Gidon. What she read showed a kingdom thrilled with war
and bloodletting.

The tours she received of the villages in the provinces had been thought provoking. She had not expected what she had seen. Children ran and shrieked as they romped, people erected stalls selling their wares, and food peddlers advertised their food. The level of revelry and noise had created a buzz in her head, and her steps had faltered as
she gawked.

Several torches and bonfires illuminated the town, throwing its elegance and beauty into stark relief. Its appearance had been like that of any other village in her kingdom—cobbled stone pathways, massive town houses made from harsh grey stones, some designed with graceful arches and doorways. Trees rose so prominently as if they would touch the sky that she could not see, and the flowers… the strangest shapes, with vibrant colours of gold, purple, silver and their scents were beyond exotic. Women indulgently looked on their young, and men walked with their families as
their protector.

The sense of normalcy had driven home how deeply Darkans
were misrepresented.

Drac had been with her everywhere she travelled, a shadow silently protecting her. Whenever she had felt fear or discomfort, he would suddenly be there to brush his lips fleetingly against hers. She had the most irritating ability to lose all apprehension when he appeared. He would always find ways to subtly touch and reassure her that he was there in the dark, but he would do
nothing more.

It
frustrated Saieke.

He was by her side until she retired to her chambers, and then he would
shiktre
away after brushing his lips across her lips and neck. He always vanished before she could reach for him to do more. Several times she noticed that when she laughed, a smile curved his lips. She tried to engage him in banter using all the wits and vivacity she possessed, only to receive clipped answers. She only had a day left in the Darkage, and he had made no move to bed her, nor had she received another opportunity to try and seduce him; although there were times his
chakra
revealed his lust
and desire.

Saieke frowned and held herself still while her lady in waiting finished wrapping her hair in a tight coil around her head. Today, she had dressed in a black caftan threaded with gold; she thought it reflected
her mood.

“My lord,” the
servant murmured.

Drac had
Shiktred
to her room, his customary way of retrieving her in the mornings. Saieke flashed from the room with him shadowing her heels. “Where do we head to today, my lord?” she asked with pique evident in
her tone.

“To
the courtyard.”

Saieke lifted her brow. “Who am I
to meet?”

Neither Lachlan nor the king had indicated what awaited her this day. She had retired from last night’s dinner exhausted from the day’s outings. The great doors were flung opened, and she stepped through and faltered. “Drac,” she breathed his name in
sheer astonishment.

She took two tentative steps out into the courtyard and beheld its beauty. Hundreds of great torches lit the rolling grounds far and wide to illustrate its majesty. It was lighted for miles, but the dark was still hovering at the periphery waiting to consume the light. The courtyard looked like a wild and beautiful jungle. Trees rose to enormous heights with vines and flowers strewn across the yard, fountains rose in several places with massive sculptures of great winged beasts with vines and flowers adorning them. The hulking stone sculptures frozen in midflight and fights were
truly breathtaking.

She flashed to stand beside Drac. “You
did this?”

“I thought you would enjoy seeing the castle. I know the dark can
be overwhelming.”

“Thank you.” She tipped and pressed a soft kiss at the corner of
his lips.

“Keep your lips to yourself, Princess.”

Saieke laughed and he grunted. Then she flashed from point to point, inhaling the wildness and beauty of the place. An animal slink up a tree and swing from vine to vine. It had several tentacles and had a mixture of green, red and blue colors. It
was beautiful.

“He is harmless; he will allow you to
touch him.”

As if mocking Drac’s word, the creature bared his upper lips to reveal a row of
pointed teeth.

“I will certainly not
touch him.”

He chuckled, and she grinned. “How far have
you lighted?”

“The
entire castle.”

Excitement raced within her. “Is there a lake on the grounds? I am not
sensing any.”

She shrieked as her world tilted and she was flowing in his arms. Shadows and light blended, her breath caught, and her vision tunneled as he moved with unparalleled speed. She pressed her face into his neck and held on. As Amagarians, they were fast and could flash for thousands of miles in just a few hours, but Darkans’ speed defied everything she had
ever witnessed.

They came to a stop in front of a massive river. Power rippled across her skin as she connected with her element. The darkness there was overpowering, and the one great torch that he had travelled with barely dispelled the dark. “The darkness
is unrelenting.”

He placed her gently on her feet and drew her into the curve of his arms. She relaxed into the safe haven of
his embrace.

“This is our great river. It spans from the western border, and runs for thousands of miles to the northern Darkage. Its depth is more than a thousand feet and it feeds the waterfalls of the Darkage. There is a fall about a hundred miles from here that runs through caves and leads to an island which is uninhabited except by our native fauna. Some very dangerous animals dwell there and are only disturbed once a year when the king takes a hunting party to keep down the numbers of the
larger predators.”

“Your realm is
beyond beautiful.”

Where the torch light moved across the landscape she could briefly pick out Birds perched high in the branches of massive trees. Not only birds, but other winged animals rested on the limbs. There was chirping and rustling from the various animals that she had yet to see. Lower down vines ran and dipped, creating formations like tentacles. The flowers were vivid in their colorings and bountiful. She could only imagine what lay beyond as it stretched out into the
endless darkness.

The power in the water beckoned. She swayed gently to a rhythm that she felt from
its ripples.

He appraised her lazily. “You are of
the water.”

“Yes.”

“And
the wind?”

“
Most assuredly.”

“A curious combination, Princess.”

“Saieke.”

He stiffened.

“My name is Saieke.” She looked at him expectantly and blinked when he observed her almost coldly. She instinctively realized he saw it as a danger, the intimacy of her name
without titles.

“I have you been calling you Drac,” she
pointed out.

The insufferable man only
grew icier.

With a light laugh, she flicked her finger, pulling water from the river and
doused him.

Surprise chased
his features.

“Do you ever play?” She flashed behind him, tipped on her toes and pressed a wet kiss behind his neck. She smiled, he could have moved away long before she repositioned at his back. “I ache to know all of you,” she whispered, “do not go cold
on me.”

He inhaled and his
chakra
pulsed with desire. Her smile widened, and she knew he could feel the curves of her lips against
his neck.

“What is that you want to know?” he
asked silkily.

She inhaled his scent. “I feel your need for me. Why do you not take what I offer
so willingly?”

“You do not comprehend what you invite, Princess. Freely ask me anything except of the desire that exists between us.” The coldness that rasped from him caused her
to shiver.

Saieke flashed toward the embankment of the river and sat on the stone edge that rose above the waters. She kicked off her sandals and dipped her feet into the water without thinking and recoiled. “It’
s freezing!”

Saieke held her breath when he appeared beside her and cradled her feet and started a deep rub and massage. She moaned and leaned against the massive tree trunk behind her. “How is it that you can exist in the sunlight? Your healers said that you can bend the shadows wherever you are even in
the sun.”

“Why would you think that we cannot exist in the sunlight? Our world is simply
without suns.”

Saieke mused on that briefly. “I think all other kingdoms believe that you can only exist in the dark. Other realms call your people demons
and vampyres.”

“Yes.”

Saieke leaned back further resting against the tree, sighing as his hands glided up and down her instep. Heat trailed wherever he touched, and hunger unfurled inside of her. She forced herself to focus on assuaging the need to learn about him. “But in those dimensions, the sun is detrimental to your kind. Legend holds that for vampyres to be in the sun is painful and in extreme cases
cause death.”

His lips twitched. “Legend also says that we consume blood for sustenance. And you have dined with us, so you know that is
not factual.”

Saieke’s hands flew to her neck as the memory of the many times his fangs had pierced her, made her limbs grow heavy in arousal. His hands tightened on her knees and she witnessed the control he
fought for.