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Liora tumbled out of bed, dragging the covers behind her, and ran to answer the door. Tirani had no features to help her display emotion, but the tone of her voice was enough to convey her concern. “Liora! You’re just waking up now?”
She blushed and pulled a sheet tighter around her shivering body. “My schedule’s been a little inconsistent lately,” she admitted.
She crossed the room to restart the fire while Tirani continued to air her disapproval. “You’re going to make yourself sick. Or worse. If he finds out what you’ve been doing…”
“He’s going to find out eventually, anyway. He’ll one day learn I have no intentions of being his servant forever.” She stared into the burgeoning flames and rubbed her hands before them to warm up. “And we both know he wouldn’t do anything harmful to me. He needs me too much.”
“While I know he would never want to risk weakening the barrier around our land, he could still make you plenty miserable while keeping you around and siphoning your power to maintain it.”
“Perhaps.” She was undeterred by her friend’s warnings and nothing would quell her resolve. “But I’m growing stronger. I can feel it. Something is simmering inside of me, waiting for an opportunity to break through the chains keeping me here.” Her fingers traveled to the cuff on her right wrist, spinning it around. “And he’s going to help me,” she murmured.
Tirani tugged on Liora’s sheet with one of her many claws and forced her into a chair. “You barely know anything about this man you’ve found,” she said. “How can you be so sure he’ll be willing to come here, let alone help you escape from Thirvar, whose strength and cunning are unrivaled by anyone within thousands of miles?”
“I know he will. He cares for me, as I care for him.” She hadn’t meant to reveal so much, but there was no use in trying to deny her feelings to her companion anymore. “The next time Thirvar and Kai leave, I’m going to go to him. If I can’t sever the ties by myself by then, I’ll bring him here to help.”
“It’s a dangerous plan. I can’t say I approve.”
“I know. I didn’t expect you to. But I can’t wait much longer.” She stared at the diminutive creature before her. “I have to leave this place. I want to find out where I came from, who I used to be. I need to find myself in order to see my true path. I’m not meant to live out the remainder of my life in Marindal, and I don’t think you are, either.”
Tirani abandoned her attempts to convince her to act with caution, changing the topic to her usual chatter regarding the rest of the land. Liora half-paid attention, as her thoughts turned to her next meeting with Stephen. Once she was alone again, she raced through her routine of examining the shield and smoothing out any flaws. Her focus was not entirely on her work. She had one thing on her mind.
Within moments of placing her hands on the sphere, she was back in the forest, staring into the waterfall. While she remained pleased with the concocted fantasy, it felt like a hollow victory, as it served as a reminder of her seclusion. In creating a scene where Stephen would feel at ease, she had forged a path to the outside world and gotten a taste of all that was possible outside the confines of her home.
Footsteps sounded from behind her, and she turned around to face the man who’d brought her so much during her quest to convince him to save her. Offering him a wide smile, she reached for the closure of her cloak, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary. There were no words, no attempts to say aloud what had already been communicated via more intimate methods. She let her only article of clothing slip away, offering herself to him.
As soon as there was nothing between them but a calming breeze, she flew into his waiting embrace, unable to resist the compelling force dragging her toward him. Her lips met his in a frantic kiss which left no uncertainty as to her intentions, and she draped her arms around his waist as they sank into the waving grass. No part of him was safe from her wandering hands, and she set out to explore every conceivable area of the body she’d craved.
Her mouth never left his as she toyed with the hair on his torso. Under normal circumstances, she would have taken her time in ensuring they were both primed to achieve maximum pleasure, yet time never seemed to be on her side. She had been able to deny satisfying her curiosity for long enough, but she needed to feel the throbbing erection which had been consuming her daydreams.
He pulsed beneath her provocative touch when she stroked up and down his shaft. The engorged heat was impossible to ignore for much longer. As she encircled it with her fingers, the slow burn of her own arousal spread throughout her. She pulled away from him long enough to see her desire mirrored in his eyes and pushed him toward the ground.
Stephen guided her on top of him and resumed their salacious kiss. His fingers pressed into her skin, evidence of his restrained patience unraveling, and she wanted nothing more than to share the ultimate gratification. Sitting up, she kept her gaze trained on his and tried to concentrate on keeping their imaginary world alive as she eased herself onto him.
It was a brutal battle—Liora was caught between sustaining the dream and surrendering to ecstasy. She closed her eyes as she impaled herself on his unyielding cock over and over, blocking out the threats of any distractions which would keep her from achieving her goal. No longer did it matter where they were, what plane of existence they occupied. The only thing on her mind was the man beneath her, thrusting into her with all his might. Any timidity he may have expressed in their initial meetings was gone, substituted with unadulterated lust as he filled her, stretched her, delved into the deepest recesses of her core.
Familiar sensations rippled throughout her body. The echo of her name in a pleading whisper reached her ears. She ground against him, increasing the speed of her rhythmic movements. His body quaked underneath her, and it was enough to send her careening into a volatile climax. Every single muscle shook uncontrollably, no longer in her control. Even with her eyes closed, she couldn’t escape the dizziness seeping in as everything spun around her in a rapid cyclone of disintegration.
Liora had expected the impact with the corner of the cellar, yet her accelerated flight back to reality still gave an unfriendly jolt to her system. Her skin was damp with sweat, in addition to the pool of moisture at the apex of her legs, and her lungs ached to regain the necessary oxygen as she struggled to calm down. Within moments of her sudden arrival, she was back on her feet. She felt awake, energized, and ready to take on the circumstances which had dealt her such a cruel fate.
Not only did she need to escape more than ever, she wanted to be with Stephen. He had stumbled across the link to her by pure coincidence, and she had been seeking someone to sweep in and pluck her from her imprisonment in Marindal. They had found so much more in each other. The connection between them had developed into an intimate bond, and she would need to rely on its strength in order to make true contact with him.
She stood in front of the sphere, close enough for the entire length of her to press against it. Closing her eyes, she thought of nothing but Stephen. She remembered his soothing voice, his fond caresses, and the way she had broken through to him to allow him to unleash his passion on her willing body. It was all so vivid and realistic in her mind, and she hoped it would be enough to reach him.
The surface gave way to her first cautious prodding. Inside, the waves of a soft summer’s breeze teased her hands, skimming over the cuffs on her wrists. They beckoned for her to enter. She withdrew her quivering extremities and cast one last look around the basement of her home. Before she could change her mind, Liora stood on her toes and spread her arms out wide. In a daring freefall, she tipped forward into the depths of the sphere.
Interlude:
A Convergence in the Mist
Chapter Fifteen
Stephen’s eyelids fluttered open and he rolled onto his back. His left shoulder had taken the brunt of his abrupt landing. He rubbed it with his other hand as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The sky above him was a muddled shade of amber, interrupted by dingy clouds hovering in place in the stagnant air. He sat up, stretching out the kinks in his neck, and took a look around.
He was on a barren rock, approximately the size of a football field. A heavy fog had settled close to the ground, and he couldn’t see if there was anything beyond the sharp drop-off at the edge where he sat. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, checking for injuries, and was relieved to find he could move his arm freely. Before he could stand up and perform a more thorough exploration of his environment, he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching.
A familiar figure appeared from the mist. His heart threatened to pound right out of his chest as Liora stepped toward him. She greeted him with a wide smile and an outstretched hand. “Stephen! You’re here!”
It was the first time he’d ever heard her speak in a normal tone of voice, and the enchanting tones filled him with amazement. “Liora…” he whispered. He accepted her gesture and let her help him to his feet. “Where are we?”
