Chapter seventeen
Centuries passed in blissful ignorance. In The Shielding Valley, we were simply Darce and Alora, not sworn enemies from rival races.
He admitted that he was an immortal, but only had a small trace of the Noxlin bloodline.
I lied, telling him that my race suspected I would be an immortal when I gained my powers.
It was a little white lie, but I took comfort knowing we both had forever. Losing him felt too painful to picture.
Darce had been true to his word about not deflowering me, but I was an expert at everything apart from actual penetration, thanks to his guidance. We were both slaves to each other’s touch. Nothing felt more pleasurable than his hands on me.
Darce was above me as I lay on the soft sands next to the lake, his mouth trailing soft kisses across my jaw line.
“We’ve got to stop doing this,” I moaned as he moved lower, licking the swell of my breasts.
“You don’t want to stop,” he murmured, running his thumb across my hardened nipple.
Arching to his touch, I knew he was right.
I couldn’t control myself when it came to him.
“You wouldn’t agree to meet me if you didn’t want this.
” His hand slipped onto my overheated centre.
“Tell me you don’t want me,” he grunted, working his fingers against my sweet spot.
How could I not want him when he was playing with me this way. “Tell me!”
“I...I...I can’t,” I yearned, rocking to the rhythm of his hand.
“You’re falling for me, admit it.” I couldn’t admit that, even if it was true. My heart was being taken over by this male Noxlin. These feelings had come out of nowhere. One moment Darce was everything I hated, and in a blink of an eye, he was the air I breathed.
We were meeting up twice a month now, using the excuse that I needed the extra training. Both of us knew the real reason, even if we never admitted it. We simply wanted more time together.
“You arrogant, prick! You wish you were that lucky!” I giggled. He bit gently down on my right breast, removing his hand from where I needed him most. I pouted in protest. He pulled back to take me in as I lay in the sand, studying my face.
“I’d use my last wish for you to feel what I feel.
” Gently, I traced the worry lines on his forehead.
“There isn’t a world where you’re not mine, Alora.
” Darce had been making his feelings for me extremely clear over the last few years.
I was taken aback by how honest and loving he was.
It wasn’t a trait that Dylin males had. It made me wonder if Darce was unique, or if all Noxlin males were like him.
“There isn’t a world where we’ll ever be allowed to be together, Darce,” I countered, watching the severity of my words sink into those beautiful eyes of his.
Leaning down, he captured my lips with his, taking the breath out of me.
The kiss was full of desperation. We might not have forever, but Darce and I had right now.
“We could simply run away.” If only it was that simple.
Darce still had no idea that I was the Dylin princess.
Knowing what I felt for him, it destroyed me that I could never tell him the truth.
It was also the reason I couldn’t tell him how I felt.
Making him believe this was merely a sexual connection was the only way to keep him safe.
“Where would we run to?”
“There are other worlds, Alora. We could hide ourselves well.”
“And how would we get to these other worlds?” I sighed. “Neither of us are powerful enough to make portals to these other veils.”
“I have friends that could help us.” Darce had really been thinking about this. “Run away with me. You don’t owe the palace anything. You’ve worked for them long enough. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
“Running away isn’t an option for me. I have friends that depend on me. Deep down, you know it’s not right for you either.”
“I want more than this for us. Where do we stand when war breaks out? Your general is already goading us. Nox almost took the bait last time. My loyalty should be to my race, but all I care about is you getting caught in the crossfire. Every Dylin I come across, I’ll worry that you care about them.
They could be your family or one of your friends.
I don’t know what to do when I get called to war.
I’ll see your face in every Dylin I come across. ”
“I don’t know where we go from here, Darce. Let’s concentrate on making me the best warrior you’ve ever seen. We’ll work out the rest later.”
“Second best warrior.” Giving me a sly smile, he put his hands through my hair, lovingly. “I’ll always be the best warrior, Alora.”
“So modest for a mere foot soldier.” I chuckled, pecking his lips.
“Does my ranking bother you? Is that the reason you won’t run away with me?”
“No, it’s more to do with my role within the palace.”
“You serve the princess, don’t you?” My talk of palace life must have brought him to that conclusion.
“You know too much about royal protocol. Are you friends with her?” Trying to keep my expression calm, I considered the potential damage if I said yes.
At least I could talk about my life in some small way with him.
The priestess’s maid story hadn’t worked clearly.
“I thought we weren’t to talk about our lives outside of this valley?”
“I’m good friends with General Nox. I’m his best foot soldier. I help train the new recruits.” The information Darce had just divulged would have been dangerous to any Dylin except me. His truth floored me. I had to give him something in return.
“Yes, I’m good friends with the princess.
We’re a similar age. I was orphaned after the battle of Cataha.
The palace took me in and I’ve looked out for her ever since.
She’s like a sister to me.” Using part of Noor’s history was the easiest thing I could think of.
In a small way, it was like introducing my best friend to Darce.
“Cataha?” Darce looked alarmed. “You lost your entire family that day? Were they all part of the army?”
“I had already lost my father years before, but...m...my mother died that day. She died with...” I braced myself and forced the words out. “She died trying to protect the... queen.”
“Fuck!” There was so much turmoil raging in his eyes. “Alora, I...I....” For once, Darce was speechless.
“Were you there? Did you see what happened? Who killed them? Tell me! Please!” I pleaded, grabbing his arm. “Darce, I need to know!”
“Your warrior training...” His voice was a whisper. “It’s to get revenge, isn’t it?”
“A Noxlin took everything from me. I don’t care how powerful they are. One day, I will give them the death they deserve.”
“Alora, you can’t beat him.” Darce knew who I was talking about. It was a male! “He has unlimited power. He’s the strongest Noxlin next to the king and queen. Whatever revenge you require, you will not win.”
“You don’t believe in me?” All the words from my father flooded back into my mind. I thought Darce was different.
“It’s not a question of your abilities. You know how impressed I am with you.
We’ve only been practising with swords for a few short months and your footwork is flawless.
It’s about picking your opponent. You will be completely outmatched.
That, and I’m not sure how I would react to watching you fight him. I won’t be able to cope.”
“You’re not going to give me a name, are you?”
“I can’t.” The pain was easy to read on his face. Darce must be friends with this male Noxlin.
“You can’t or won’t?”
“I won’t,” he sighed, looking away from me. “To give you his name would be like giving you my own.”
“You have feelings for me, yet you protect him.”
“Would you lure your precious princess out for me?” Darce’s tone was short as he moved off me, reaching for his shirt.
“That’s completely different!” I seethed, reaching for my own clothes. He was being absurd. “Our princess didn’t massacre an entire army in a matter of seconds.”
“No, but your race destroyed an entire city in a matter of hours.” The rage in his voice was unlike anything I had heard from him before.
“Females and children were lost. That your kind killed! You came into our city unannounced and destroyed everything. What else was he meant to do? Sit back and watch you kill his entire race? All for some power from a light sword we didn’t steal?
Your king has a habit of falsely accusing us.
Believe it or not, we are a peaceful race.
Each time we have gone to war, it’s because your precious king started it.
He got his own fucking wife killed that day.
You want someone to blame, look at Zohar! ”
“I’ve been so foolish. I thought you were different.” Tears filled my eyes. “You’ve always been my enemy, I was just too stupid to see it.”
“Alora, this has nothing to do with how I feel about you. This is about the past. Something we can never change. If I could go back in time and save your mother, I would. We can’t change the events that happened before we met.” Darce made a fair point, but my body was still raging.
“I want you to continue to train me.” I pulled my fighting leathers on, not meeting his gaze.
“I’ll give you anything you want. You know this. I’m not your enemy.”
“I will use your training to kill the Noxlin you are protecting when the time comes. Can you live with that?”
As I searched his eyes, a strange sense of understanding flickered deep inside them. Darce placed a soft kiss on my lips and muttered against them, “And on that day, I won’t stand in the way of you running your blade straight through his heart.”
“You mean that?”
“If you discover his name, I will not stand in your way, Alora. I promise.” Darce kept his promises. I knew this of him.
“Will you show me those steps one last time before I have to leave?” I asked. Darce picked up our swords, throwing mine towards me.
“I’m not going to go easy on you this time, Starshine,” he threatened, moving into position. “You need to show me what you’ve got.”
“I’ve got enough to knock you to the ground.” I smirked as our blades made contact. The echoes of steel clashing filled the valley.
“We’ll see about that.” Darce lunged at me thrusting his sword, pushing me back against the tree.
Before I could even form a coherent thought, his blade was against my neck.
“You still have a lot to learn.” His body was crushed against mine.
Gazing down at my lips, he removed his sword.
“Practise the advance again. You’re not leaving until you’ve mastered it.
” It was already late, but Darce was a hard taskmaster.
I wasn’t going anywhere until I had mastered the steps.
****
“WHAT TIME DO YOU CALL this?” Noor glared, meeting me on the edge of town. “I don’t mind covering for you, but you’ve been gone for a day and a half!” Darce and I may have gotten a bit distracted with the training.
“I’m sorry. It took a little longer today. It was worth it, though.”
“I would love to know what you’re talking about, but you’ve been keeping it from me for centuries, remember?” I gave her a reassuring smile. “Xavier was asking after you. Luz told him you were power training with me.”
“Did he push for any further information about my powers or sexual awakening?” Stressing, I pulled the hood of my cape over my head.
“Why are you so...wait, has something surfaced? Is that what all of this is about?” Loki and Enyo nudged me. They were tired and wanted the tranquillity of my chamber.
“Noor, I do not wish to be bonded to Xavier.”
“That’s not your decision. Your father...”
“I don’t care what my father believes is right for me. Holy Ether has a different destiny laid out.”
“What destiny?”
“Taking revenge for my mother’s death.” Noor looked at me, bewildered. “I’ve been training to fight.”
“What? By whom?”
“A warrior.” Noor’s eyes widened. “That is all I can say without risking your life. My powers spark when I am around him.”
“Him! Gods, Alora, all this time you’ve been with a male?”
“He’s sparked my sexual awakening.”
“You’ve laid with him? If Xavier finds out, he’ll kill him! What have you been playing at?”
“I’m yet to be deflowered, Noor. Relax,” I soothed. “I may have done some things with him, though. The things you do with Lito.”
“We shouldn’t be talking about those things! I can’t corrupt your mind with that until you mate with someone.”
“Do you ever wonder why we have that law?”
“No. It’s simply the way we do things. We were created in Holy Ether’s image. We must remain as pure as we can.”
“How are things with you and Lito?” The pair of them had been physical for a few years now, but I wasn’t entirely sure how happy Noor was.
“Lito and I are thinking about binding ourselves. It feels like the right time.”
“Are you ready for that?”
“It’s what he wants.”
“What do you want?” I questioned, noticing the dim lights of Dallethas in the distance.
“Why does it matter what I want? Lito will provide for me and give me the substance that I need. Seriously, who is this mystery male? Do I know him? He’s gotten inside your head. Have you been with him all these years?”
“No, only recently,” I lied. Noor would work out that Darce was a Noxlin if I wasn’t careful.
“I’m assuming you’ve kissed him if you’ve been doing other things with him.”
“Kissing. Yes, we’ve been kissing a lot.
” I couldn’t tell her all the dirty things Darce and I had done to each other.
Flashes of his cock in my mouth flooded my mind, and being pinned against a tree with his shadows while his finger rubbed against my core.
He’d teased me so much that day, making me beg for my orgasms.
“Please be careful, Alora. If Xavier ever found out, I’m not sure what he’d do.”
“You’re the only one I’ve told. Xavier isn’t going to find out.”
“What about the male? Do you trust him?”
“With my life,” I replied instantly, because Darce had saved me. All those years ago, he had taken a chance on me.
He might not be able to give up the male that killed my mother, but I never doubted his feelings. He would give his life for me, and deep down, I felt the same way.
Perhaps I had asked too much of him the last time I saw him. Giving up his friend wasn’t something I should have put on him.
The important thing was that Darce was still willing to train me now that he knew the reason I wanted to be a warrior.
That spoke volumes about the type of male he was.
A loyal, fair, pure one. Of course he wanted to protect his friend, just as he cared about and wanted to protect me.
Still, he said he wouldn’t stand in my way when I got my chance at revenge; he promised.
That was all the loyalty I needed from him. I prayed that in time, when his friend died by my hands, it wouldn’t destroy us.