Gemma

Gemma is an Erien Tale story by Terri Pray
Artwork by Samuel Pray, created using Daz 3D, Photoshop and Filter Forge.

“Is it done, daughter?”

She turned toward the voice even as her body resettled into its physical form. “Yes mother, it is done.” Gemma Tordan smoothed down her skirts, letting the full silken material slide into place around her thighs before she lifted her gaze and sought out her mother. “Kaleb knows what we are, or at least a part of what we are. His interest in rune magic has been reopened and he will begin his search for it soon enough.”

“Good, then the time spent apart was worth it, dearest one.” Helena Tordan opened her arms in welcome, a soft smile touching her ageless features. “Come, it has been far too long since I held you, and what you have been through—”

“Was for the good of us all,” Gemma moved into her mothers arms and sighed. For the first time in years she relaxed. Here at least she was safe, protected from the likes of Kaleb and those who served him. “He believed it, believed all of it right until the very end, mother. Just as you said he would.” Home. This was what the hug meant to Gemma. Here, among her family, in the arms of her mother, she was safe. Kaleb couldn’t follow her, couldn’t touch her and the shield of power, the presentation that she didn’t fear him, could all be forgotten.

Could she forget what she had endured at his touch though? Was that an option for her or would the time she had shared with him continue to haunt her?

Helena ran a hand over Gemma’s hair, her voice soft and warm. “You are safe with me. With us. What you did was for the good of us all but I would have spared you if there had been a real choice.”

Had there been another option? Someone else who could have attracted Kaleb’s attention? Her shoulders tensed as she faced those thoughts for the first time since she had allowed Kaleb to take her into his not so tender care. No, among her people there was no one else who could have controlled Kaleb and kept his attention focused away from her people or the magic they laid claim to until the time was right.

“I will heal, mother. I knew what would be expected of me when we first discussed this idea.” Gemma pulled free of her mother’s embrace.

Helena frowned, her brilliant eyes narrowed. “Will you discuss what happened in his… care?”

Gemma shook her head and stepped away from her mother, putting a good ten paces between them. “No, not yet at least. There are other things that require our attention.” By the gods, why would she feel that it was time to talk when there was so much to do? Things her father had wanted, planned for but where was he? “My father?”

Sorrow flickered across Helena’s features as the older woman turned away, her shoulders slumped. “He - he was taken from us six years ago.”

Gemma’s heart sank, a cold sweat forming down the length of her spine. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, stealing a moment to settle her voice before she dared to give words life. “What happened?”

Helena didn’t turn to look back at her daughter, her head hung low, hands clenched over her heart. “I wish there was an easy way to explain this but he went to speak with the dragons except he never reached the valley of spires, never managed to find a way to talk with them. He was attacked by those who also seek access to the rune magic, though we only know this from how his body was found.”

No, this wasn’t possible. Her father couldn’t be dead. He was strong, he couldn’t have been felled in such in manner. “Who was responsible?”

“We don’t know, not entirely. The area showed signs of human footprints but there were others mingled in with them. Six toes, large footprints, heavy ones, indicating-”

“Veklim.” Gemma growled the word out. “We haven’t dealt with their kind in centuries.”

“I know, daughter mine. We all know. Yet there is no other that would leave such marks behind.” Helena turned back to face her daughter.

Veklim. Dangerous humanoid lifeforms with a third eye and the jaw strength of a small dragon. Stone skin was another name they were known by, at least among the people of Erien, but her people and the dragons knew their real name. “Why did they come after my father? And have they attacked anyone else?”

“The rune magic is my guess, they always wanted access to it, though they lack the ability to use magic themselves. Which means they must have something planned, a race or even a small group of people that they can force into service. Half bred fae would be my guess when it comes to such, as those rare breeds are able to use that magic as well as the natural magic of the fae as a whole.”

Half breed fae. Gemma stepped away as she moved toward the only window in the chamber. How often had she stood at that window and taken a sneak peak out so she could watch the men and women who called this land their home? She had observed children at play, courting couples and families as a whole. Now there was nothing but the occasional movement of a bird across the sky. No sign of man nor woman, children or even pets. Those human settlements that had been a huge part of her life showed no sign of having ever existed.

“What happened to them all?”

“The villages? They moved away, slowly at first but they’re long gone now and have been for at least twenty years.” Helena explained, her voice soft and touched with sadness. “I wish they had stayed but times changed whilst you were in his hands. “There was a woman who came into the life of the lord of the castle and became his wife. But this one wasn’t happy with the path ahead of her and her darkness spread out and the people here felt her touch the hardest, especially when the lord’s gaze fell upon a fae woman. One with silver hair that shone like the moon.”

“He betrayed his wife?”

“No, nothing of the sort. He kept his desires controlled and was faithful unto his wife, despite the darkness he was wed to. No, not even when the woman brought a daughter into this life, not even when his dark wife turned from him to focus on the new child, did he betray her. Yet he knew and loved the fae with the silver hair from afar. He made no attempt to bring her close, nor did he openly lust after her, yet his wife knew that another woman had caught his attention.”

A shiver claimed Gemma as she listened, a cold hand wrapped around her heart. “The wife struck back?”

“Using a dark heart and colder magic, yes. Men and women died due to her actions and her husband attempted to bring her back away from her terrible path, but it didn’t work. The harder he worked with her, the blacker her heart became.”

“But she loved him, why couldn’t she curb her anger and work with him?”

“Hatred is a powerful thing and as much as she loved him, she also hated him.”

Love and hate in the same breast, toward the same man, would that have torn the woman apart? Gemma closed her eyes, lifting her hands to her temples long enough to massage her aching head. This wasn’t something she had planned for, but then again how could any of them have foreseen such a thing, nor the rise of the Veklim or the death of her father. “How did that impact the villages in the area?” She needed more information, as many pieces as possible before she made a final choice on what she needed to do next.

“Some died beneath her blade in the pursuit of what the humans call the black arts.”

Black arts. Sometimes they used that term in the wrong way, but in this case…

“She targeted this village because of the silver haired fae, claiming they were behind the change in her lord’s heart, but we all know that isn’t true. They had nothing to do with it nor did the fae female, yet the dark hearted woman was set upon the destruction of the woman and the village. It was enough to turn the lord from his wife and he banished her, despite the fact she had given him a daughter.”

A daughter. One who would seek vengeance in time, perhaps with the aid of her mother or perhaps she would seek elsewhere. Gemma frowned, mulling over the information before she spoke again. “This is the family who will open the doorway for Kaleb?”

“We believe so.”

The pieces fell into place. Vengeance would call to the Lord of Vengeance and in turn he would use the women to find an answer, a means of tracking down any hint of the very magic Kaleb craved. “We will be there to stop him.”

“Yes, but only after he has drawn close enough to the source to be of use to us.” Her mother confirmed.

Was it worth it? The loss of her father, the time she had spent in Kaleb’s not so tender care? Was it all worth it just to return the true power of rune magic to the world of Erien? Did they need the return of this magic?

Yes, we do. Erien does. It has to be this way or we all die. Not even the Tree-Faced will be able to continue on, nor the Master of the Hunt, without the return of rune magic.

“We do this for the good of all, daughter mine. I know that doesn’t make things any easier for you, or for the rest of our people, but it is the task we were assigned at the dawn of our race. The protection of Erien and those who call this their home.” Helena lifted her chin, her jaw set as she looked around the room. “But we have time, albeit limited, which will allow you a chance to recover before we face the next challenge. The dark heart has not, as yet, returned to the castle nor has she reclaimed her daughter or her lord, and he married the silver haired fae, and she gave him a daughter in return.”

“She is at risk, this silver haired one?” Gemma pushed a loose strand of hair back from her eyes.

“Not anymore, she died only a few months ago.”

Died. Despite the fact that Gemma hadn’t even known of the fae’s existence until a few moments ago, the knowledge of the woman’s death sat heavily around her heart. “How?”

“A curse unleashed by the dark heart.”

Names would have helped, but names held power and using them might be enough to draw the dark one’s attention if she had tapped the full extent of the magic of such things. Not a risk that could be taken. “Powerful.”

“Yes, but not powerful enough to destroy the half fae child, her mother and the magic of the child prevented the curse touching the daughter. And we will work to keep her from such a curse again.” Helena sighed, her shoulders slumped. “It will not be easy but that has to be the focus of our task, to keep the fae born child free from the touch of dark magic until such time as she is able to defend herself.” She is a key, not the only one, but an important key nevertheless. Her power, her connections, her strength and spirit will all be needed in the years to come, but only if she lives long enough to be of use to us and to Erien as a whole.”

“And the Three-faced, what of her people, those daughters of the Isle who have been chosen to stand against the darkness?”

Helena paused, her brow furrowed in thought. “I cannot see beyond an upset that will happen in the years ahead. There is a daughter born to the line but there is a darkness, something that blocks her and the power she will lay claim to. I do not know if she will ever be in a position to defend Erien. Yet… there is something else there. Something I cannot see clearly. One who will come to her, fight at her side but he may also be her greatest threat.” She shook her head. “I know, it makes no sense. There will always be things we cannot see clearly but we know what we must do with the fae born child. She is who we must focus on no matter the cost to our own people.”

How many of her people would die in the process?

Would her mother be among that number?

Would she?

It didn’t matter.

The fae born daughter would be kept safe…

Hunger

Hunger is a historical Shadow Sprawl story, continuing the current story arc, written by Terri Pray

Artwork by Samuel Pray, created using Daz3d, Photoshop and Filter Forge.

What in the name of the gods was he doing? This woman, this creature was nothing more than a predator, a dangerous one with access to magic that he could never lay claim to. Yet here he was, holding her against a tree, his fingers buried between her thighs as she moaned and whimpered, lost in the throws of passion.

His cock twitched, hard and eager to press itself between her slick, heated folds but then what?

Why would I care what comes next?

Because he was a man, not a beast. This wasn’t about sating his lusts, his hunger for a moment. No, this was about his life and what would happen to him once the female was done with her indulgence.

But what if this was more than a whim? Could something else have driven her here, to him? Isn’t that what she had hinted at? That there was something more to this thing between them?

Deal with it later. Sate my needs now. If there is more to this than a fast, hard rutting, then I…

Adriana moaned, her back arching, hips thrusting against his hand. Slick, tight clenches locked on his fingers as he moved them slowly in and out of her welcoming core. His breathing grew ragged, the need to take her increasing with each passing moment but he held back. A little longer, he wanted her willing beyond any doubt, eager for him and only then would he take her.

“Please,” she reached for him, sliding one hand over his shoulder and into his hair. “I need you, need you now.”

“Soon,” he promised.

“Now,” the plea little more than a soft whisper. “I don’t want to wait.”

His cock twitched, throbbing with the need to take her, but if he surrendered now, gave into her pleas, she would hold the upper hand. Not something he could permit. Not in this moment or any future moments to come. “Who is in command here?”

“You are,” she admitted.

“Remember that.” He eased his fingers from between her clenching inner walls, taking a moment to enjoy the shudder that rolled through Adriana’s body. “Turn around and press your hands against the tree, thighs spread.”

She looked up at him, eyes wide before she lowered her gaze, the submissive gesture enough to send a dark wave of desire through his body. For a moment she didn’t move and he tensed, wondering if she would follow through on his command. Silently she turned, keeping her gaze lowered as she followed through, pressing her hands against the tree trunk, thighs spread as she assumed the position.

“Good,” he ran one hand down the length of her spine feeling the play of her muscles beneath the tunic. He frowned, tugging on the cloth. Without giving her an option, he slid one claw out from his index finger, barely aware of the slight pain that came with the appearance of the claw. “Don’t move. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Adriana tensed at the words, her breath hitching.

Good, a part of her feared him.

The idea thrilled him at first but then it changed, a sickness rippled through his gut as he looked at her and then at the exposed claw. No, he wouldn’t build on that fear, not this time, not with this female. His heart pounded as he tugged on the tunic, letting the cloth catch on the edge of his claw. Slow and with care he cut through the tunic, letting the strips of cloth fall to the ground as he bared her body to his view.

“Beautiful.” He murmured.

Adriana glanced back over her shoulder, her simmering gaze meeting his. Her lips parted, a soft whimper of need slipping from them as she arched her back, thrusting her buttocks out toward him. Hunger, need, it didn’t matter what he called it, the desire burned in her eyes in a way that could never be denied.

“You going to touch me, or do I need to take care of myself?” She licked her bottom lip before pulling it in between her teeth, her eyes going wide. “I know my own body well enough to…”

“No.” He cupped her now bare buttocks, squeezing them, kneading them until she squirmed. “You never need to take care of yourself as long as you’re with me.” Would this be a onetime thing or would they part ways? No, he didn’t want to think about that, not when his body protested against the idea of walking away from her, from this woman who tempted his senses and called for him to take her, fill her, claim her and place his mark on her.

“Well then, what do you plan on doing, Marcius?” She turned away from him, lowering her head, her back arched, hips lifted and pressed back toward him. “Should I stay or leave?”

“You’re going no where.” He lashed out, securing one hand across the back of her neck. “Not until I say you can leave.”

Her hips rolled, a deep moan slipping from her lips as she stood there, hands pressed against the trunk of the tree. “I understand, Marcius.”

Did she, or was she merely hoping that he wouldn’t rip her throat out? She wouldn’t be the first vampire to die at under the teeth and claws of a wolf shifter. He leaned in, nuzzling her hair, his free hand sliding up from her buttocks to her waist, holding her in place. Silken skin tightened under the passage of his caress and she whimpered, moving softly beneath his fingers.

“Such an eager female, are all of your kind like this?” He traced down to her hip and then back up to her spine.

Adriana tensed. “I won’t want to talk about my sisters like that. They aren’t a part of this.”

“You will deny me nothing, my mate. If I wish to know something you will answer me.”

She looked back over her shoulder, her muscles tight, anger rippling through her form. “I will not discuss my sisters and I am not your play thing, nor will I act as if I’m your possession.” All sense of arousal died in that moment, she snarled, shifting her weight.

She’s going to move.

He pressed in against her, pinning her to the tree. “I’m sorry.” The words slipped free before he had the chance to prevent it. “It’s in my nature to press. If you want to leave, I won’t try and keep you here.” Even as he said the words he knew them to be a lie, his wolf wouldn’t permit her to walk away without at least trying to convince her that she needed to stay. He wouldn’t force her into staying, that wasn’t the way of the wolf, but he would try and change her mind.

She didn’t answer for a moment, her breathing ragged, emotions tainting her scent. Adriana bowed her head, took a deep breath and he watched, waiting for her to make a choice.

“If I had any sense, I’d leave. You’re a shifter, I’m a daughter of Lilith, what we want here, even if it were nothing more than a single encounter, would have us mocked or cast out by our people.”

A single encounter? No, it would be more than that. They both knew it even if neither of them were willing to admit it yet.

Except I have, I’ve already called her my mate. That’s not something I can walk away from.

“Would you leave, if you had to?” He traced one fingertip up and down the length of her spine, watching the tightening and play of her skin beneath his touch. “If you thought it were for the best, if your body didn’t crave mine the way I crave yours, could you truly walk away?”

“No,” she didn’t hesitate, her words little more than a whisper as she leaned back against the tree, her back arched, buttocks lifted. “I need you. I don’t know why. I don’t understand why, but I know that I need you and I can’t shut that, or you out of my thoughts.”

His cock twitched at her words, his balls tight and heavy as they pressed against the base of his erection. She wanted him, needed him, it wasn’t just his needs that were in charge here but hers as well. “I want you.” He leaned in, brushing his lips over one bare shoulder. “I need you.”

“Then take me, fill me, let me know how much you desire me, my wolf. I need to know, I need to feel that between us, to know that I’m not making a mistake by staying here with you.” She rolled her hips, pressing her bare buttocks back against his groin. “It’s the only way we’ll both know for certain that we’re doing the right thing.”

The right thing. How could this be anything but the right thing? He growled, the sound low and dangerous as he covered her, holding her against the rough bark, his cock thick and throbbing. He yanked at his clothing, pulling the tunic over his head and tossing it aside before he pulled his loin cloth away, dropping it on the floor. “Last chance, Adriana. Tell me to stop and I will, but once I - I won’t be able to pull back.” A wolf claiming his mate would fight back if she said no half way through. He’d try, oh he’d try, but he knew that it would be near impossible and would threaten to turn him feral.

Not something he’d wish on anyone.

“I understand,” she rolled her hips, teasing his thick cock with the brief contact. “I won’t say no. I won’t change my mind.” She promised.

He had to take Adriana’s word for that. He cupped her buttocks revealing in the sensation before he slid his thick erection between her thighs, pushing up against her slick, heated core. He growled at the touch, the scent of her arousal filling his nostrils and he gave himself to the desires that burned through his system.

The head of his cock slid against her slick folds and he smiled, rolling his hips as he teased his length back and forth, moving it through her nether lips without entering her. Heat blossomed between them, the scent of her need growing with each new touch and he pulled back just enough to adjust his angle before he thrust into her in a single stroke. Her inner walls parted and then clenched on his length, a low hungry groan spilling from her lips as she welcomed him into her body.

Mine. My mate. Mine always.

There was no denying it now. She belonged to him and he to her.

He pulled back, leaving only the head of his cock buried between her slick inner walls. He couldn’t hold back. Every inch of him hungered for her, pushed at him to bite and claim her, but she wasn’t ready.

Was she?

“Don’t stop.” She pleaded.

“I won’t.” He promised, waiting only a moment longer before he drove into her, taking her deeper than before. Her body clenched on his, hips rolling, hunger building as they moved together. Slick sounds filled the air, mingled with groans, whimpers and the need for so much more.

Time lost all meaning as they moved together, nothing but the slick sounds and their hunger filling the small glade. Pressure built with each new thrust, his grip tight on her hips as he filled her over and over again, his balls slapping against her swollen sex.

“I need you.” He growled, nuzzling her neck. “Need to…”

“Mark me.” She tipped her head to the side, baring her neck. “Do it, make me yours. Please Marcius, claim me.”

He didn’t hesitate. With a low, hungry snarl he struck, biting into the flesh at the juncture between her throat and shoulder. His teeth sunk into her olive touched flesh, blood filling his mouth as she shuddered beneath him.

“Close, so very close.”

He lifted his head away from the wound, a full-throated howl spilling from his lips as he moved, thrusting deeper, rocking her against the trunk. Pressure, hunger, the two combined until he knew there was only one way this would end.

“Come for me, mate. Come for me now.” He ordered.

She obeyed, her sex a liquid heat around his cock, ripples of her release playing over his erection until his own pleasure ripped free, marking her within and without. They tumbled back from the tree to curl on the moss-covered ground, his cock still buried in her body…

To Be Concluded Next Week.