Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 17 - Spider's Web

Late in the evening, he had a visitor. She didn't come through the door, though, she just materialized right before him, surrounded in a bright purple light that illuminated the small cell.

"Tim. I'm so glad you're okay. I was worried."

"Ileeya! How did you get in here?"

"There are some things about me you don't know, Tim. I have some mental abilities that I never told you about. I came here to see you."

"If you can teleport from one cell to another, why don't you just leave?" Tim asked.

"My powers aren't strong enough to travel back home. I might be strong enough to leave the prison, but where would I go?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

"At first I was embarrassed that you caused a scene for me, but I guess I'm kind of flattered. Thank you. Sometimes Jondak can be such an ass. Here. I brought us a little treat." She took a flask of deep red liquid from behind her back and took a drink then handed it to him.

"Well," he said as he accepted the flask, "I don't know how you managed such a trick. But it's great to see you. How come you never told me you could do things like this before?" he said as he took a drink.

The liquid was delicious. It was warm and clung to his throat as it went down. It tasted a little like brandy.

She shrugged, "I never had a reason to. Everything I need is provided here. But now that we're so close, I can share my secrets with you."

"So where did they take Jondak?" he asked her.

"They headed for one of the other confinement units. He's being punished, as well."

"Good," Tim answered.

She giggled and reached for the flask. She took a long drink, then handed it back to Tim. Tim also took another long swig, draining it. The liquid warmed him all the way to his toes and gave him a comfortable feeling. He felt all his concerns vanish.

"What is this stuff?" he asked.

"This is called Carangalad. It's an elven celebratory drink. Sometimes, when I really miss home, I change the water into it. Good, huh?"

"Very. A celebratory drink, huh? Are we celebrating something?"

"Would you like to celebrate something?" she asked coyly. Her eyes sparkled like diamonds. The pale light shone off her hair as it framed her perfect face. How he longed for her!

The flask now empty, he reached for her. He pulled her close, feeling the heat of her body against his. He trailed gentle kisses down her neck as her breathing deepened.

A soft moan escaped her lips as he pulled her against him even tighter, running his hands up her back. His own excitement growing, he kissed her petal soft lips, his hands tangling themselves in her hair.

Her hands were now doing their own exploring, prickling his skin at their touch. He kissed her deeper, searching, seeking. Clothing was shed piece by piece, and now skin was against skin. He savored her silky pale skin, marvelling at the way it shimmered in the dull light. Its smooth texture beckoned him, and he answered, listening to her breathing which was now coming in short, ragged gasps.

The pace quickened, becoming more urgent, as he laid her down upon the animal skin. She reached for him, and he surrendered to her touch. Her smooth hands slid over his back, gliding as if they were wrapped in satin. He could not resist her any longer, and succumbed to her, releasing the tension that had been building from the moment her first saw her. All thoughts of anything but this moment fled from his mind as she shuddered beneath him, echoing his own rapid breaths back at him.

"I love you, Ileeya," he murmured in her ear before sleep washed over him in a wave. He let it take him out to sea, with the blissful feel of her warm body next to his.

Tim had been surprised and delighted to see Ileeya. He had thought he was cut off from everything in this cell. He didn't realize she had the ability to pop in and out of the cells at will. She must be aware of some of her talents. He was thrown off guard by her being there and hadn't bothered to question her further. If he had thought about it a little more, he would have remembered what Gertie had said about Ileeya not being aware that she even had any powers.

But a couple of drinks of the Carangalad and he was very relaxed. Ready to accept everything. He spent a glorious evening proving his love for her and relished the feeling of sleeping, spent, with her curled up next to him. Now, warm and snug in his semi-awake state, he wanted to just sleep. It was a good thing he was in this cell and not expected to work in the fields tomorrow. He was so tired. His brain was foggy, like he couldn't find a coherent thought. That Carangalad must have packed a powerful punch. He hoped he wouldn't wake up with a hangover.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At this very moment, she really envied her sister. Although she doubted Ileeya had yet had the pleasure of seeing what Tim had to offer, there was no doubt that she was indeed lucky. To have such an exquisite specimen as this to love her so completely was surely a blessing.

Shirra herself had never known such love, only brief affairs with various men. And occasionally women. She hated that this feeling would have to end. But, as with Malir, she was sure Tim would reject her. He had already given his heart to Ileeya. If Shirra had intervened sooner, perhaps things could have been different, but she really hadn't taken much interest in Tim until the tournament had been near. As with most things with siblings, as Ileeya's interest grew, so did Shirra's.

Jondak had done very well. He had managed to separate them so Shirra could begin working her magic on Tim. She would have to reward him. Maybe she would let him have Ileeya after all. Shirra wanted her dead, but was content to see her as a brainless slave far, far away.

She was happy when Ileeya had stepped through the portal. What better place for her to end up than a slave camp? With her spirit broken, Shirra was sure she would be rid of Ileeya forever. For ten years she hadn't even thought about her sister.

And then Tim showed up. Shirra didn't know how these idiots managed to send a portal to earth, she herself didn't even know how to do it. She had never seen a human before. Didn't even know they existed. Except in the old scriptures. It was prophesied that a being from a place unknown would aid in the saving of the world. Shirra didn't think that could be Tim. As marvelous as he was, she couldn't forsee him saving the world. He didn't have any abilities that could help him to that end.

She listened to Tim's breathing, slow and regular, clearly audible in the complete silence of the cell. He would sleep for several more hours yet. The Carangalad was drugged, of course, and with the physical exertion they had partaken in, Shirra knew she had plenty of time to lay her plans.

What a magnificent lover! Shirra could feel his love for Ileeya through his actions and wished desperately it could be some other way; that she could simply get rid of her sister and take her place. But she knew her illusion wouldn't last. She may look just like her sister, but there were many differences in they way they acted. She wouldn't be able to act like a goody two shoes and make it convincing.

Besides, how would she take over this land if she let a man take over her thoughts? No. She must proceed with her plan.With a sigh of resignation, she began the spell that would teleport them both back to her quarters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jondak was pleased with himself. For once he felt as if he had succeeded. He knew Tim would take the bait. He may come from a different world, but he was just like any other man Jondak had ever known. It was natural, even in the animal kingdom, to fight over females. Out of the corner of his eye, Jondak had noticed Tim visibly stiffen. When Tim started walking towards him, Jondak knew the trap was set. It was only a matter of time before Tim lost control. Jondak wished they could have both used their weapons for that fight. It would have been quick and easy and there would be no more Tim to worry about.

He wished he could be there to see Tim's reaction when he found out he was with Shirra. Jondak knew of Shirra's plans to visit Tim and then transport him to her quarters. He also knew she would drug him and take advantage of him, pretending to be Ileeya. He had begged Shirra to cast an illusion on him, making him appear as Tim, and then send him to Ileeya's cell to be alone with her for a few hours. But Shirra didn't think it would work. She thought it was too risky, especially since Tim was supposed to be confined for two nights. Jondak was really upset with this, but Shirra did pop in and bring him something. She had brought him some sumptuous edibles, some fine wine, and a fine little servant wench to spend his evening with. Shirra was kind enough to cast an illusion on her to make her appear as Ileeya. She was subservient, granting Jondak all of his whims.

He had his way with her and when he was done, his appetite sated, he had simply to state that he wanted no more of her and she vanished. It had been a fun evening. Definitely worth a few bruises and two days and nights in confinement.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shirra noticed Tim starting to stir, his brain was starting to become more aware. She knew he would wake up soon. She was ready for him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Finally, it was if a cloud had lifted from Tim's thoughts. Before opening his eyes he realized something was very wrong. Instead of the cold hardness of the floor, it felt as if he were in a soft bed, covered with blankets. The room felt comfortably warm, too. It was also much lighter in here than the dark cell he had been put into the day before. Unless they had opened a door. But no one was screaming at him to wake up, so that didn't make sense.

Hesitantly, he opened his eyes. It was much lighter. The first thing he saw were half a dozen torches lining the curved wall before him. Maybe I'm dreaming again. He was in a bed. The blankets were soft and warm. Then he realized he was completely nude under them. Memories of the night before flooded him, and would have made him smile if it were not for the surroundings he now found himself in.

He realized how weak he felt when he tried to move. He struggled to sit up, and after a moment he did so, gathering up the blankets around himself. His vision swam, and he fought to clear it while he looked around.

He was in a large round room with stone walls. But not the stone walls of the prison he had spent the last several months in. Torches were placed in sconces all around the room, about a dozen in all. There was a large walkway ahead and to his left that opened into an empty spacious chamber beyond. The canopy bed he was in was placed with its headboard against the wall. Its curtains were up on top of the canopy so there was no obstruction to his view. About twenty feet away was a wooden wardrobe. He wondered idly if his clothes were in there.

Where the hell am I? he wondered. He was thinking about getting up and checking the wardrobe for clothes when he heard a voice to his left.

"Good morning, Tim."

He just about jumped out of his skin. His head swiveled around to see Ileeya standing there, dressed in a long satiny navy blue dress. The dark color really set off the lightness of her hair, which appeared to flicker with the torchlight.

"I trust you slept well?"

For a moment he couldn't speak. His mouth moved, but no sounds came out. When he managed to find his voice he asked, "Ileeya? Where am I?"

"You're in my bedroom."

"But...I don't understand. How did I get here?"

"I brought you here," she said. "And the name is Shirra."

Panic seized him. He could feel the blood draining from his face. He sprung out of the bed, his nakedness momentarily forgotten.

"N-no," he stammered. "That can't be. You're...you're..."

"Dead? Is that what she told you? That's what she thought. She left me for dead. Not many people can get up and walk away after having a dagger plunged into their chest. But she managed to miss all of my vital organs. I lie there bleeding for awhile, but I survived.

I managed to stumble several miles to a temple and begged for healing. I gave them some sad story about my village catching fire and my crazed sister attacking me. They took pity on me and healed me. And here I am!"

Her upper lip curled a tiny bit, giving her smile a guilty appearance. It was the same smile she had last night while they were sharing their passion with one another. Last night! Memories burst into his head like fireworks. What he and Ileeya had shared together. But it wasn't Ileeya. It had been Shirra all along. No! It couldn't be!

As if reading his mind she said, "Yes, dear. That was me you were with last night. Fooled you, didn't I?"

He saw Ileeya's face in his mind and compared it to Shirra's. There were no differences. He struggled to remember all the details about last night. The way she had popped into his cell was odd, but he was so happy to see her he didn't think logically. Besides, she might have the ability to change water and teleport. How would Tim know? It hadn't exactly come up in conversation. And that smile. He was so preoccupied with what was happening that he mistook it for happiness.

"You're grasping at straws, Tim. I can see you're trying to talk yourself into believing it was really Ileeya you were with last night, but it wasn't. We had a good time, didn't we? My sister is a very lucky girl. Or at least she was. Now, I'm the lucky one."

"What do you want?" Tim managed to choke out.

"Why, I want you, my dear. I want you to be mine."

"Why me?"

"Well, besides being tall, dark, and handsome, you're a fantastic lover. I want more of last night. And I want everything my sister wants. She can have Jondak. I'm sure he would jump at the chance to try again with her."

A deep flush started in Tim's face and went down his neck.

"Oh," she said sweetly to him, "I see she hasn't told you about her fling with Jondak. They were pretty close for awhile. They even shared a cell."

Tim couldn't hide the surprise from his face.

Shirra continued, "I don't know the details about why they split up, nor do I care. I'm more interested in finding out more about you. What makes Tim tick?"

She ran a finger down his cheek. He froze at her touch, too stunned by everything she had just told him to move.

"Think about it, Tim," she almost whispered as she leaned toward him, "wouldn't you like more of last night? You could be out of that stinking prison and while away your hours here, with me. We could start right now."

"And Ileeya?" Tim asked.

"Ileeya can take care of herself. She's got Jondak. She probably doesn't even know you're gone. Right now you should still be in the confinement cell. But instead, you're here."

His brain started to relax at the sound of her syrupy voice. He couldn't believe Ileeya would keep something like that from him. An affair with Jondak? No wonder he was always slobbering all over her.

And here he was with a beautiful woman who wanted to be with him. Maybe she was right. If Ileeya wanted to go back to Jondak, then she would be free to do just that.

Now his body started to relax as well. Shirra was breathing on his neck as her hands worked the muscles in his shoulders. He felt the tension float away under her firm grip.

Shirra moved in front of him and he embraced her. This is wrong, Tim, a little voice at the back of his mind said. He ignored it, caught up in the passion of the moment. Shirra bit his neck. She was feisty. Tim liked that.

"My sister lied to you, you know, " she whispered between bites. "She attacked me. She was uncontrollable." She bit him again. Tim closed his eyes. "Our parents didn't know what to do with her." Her hands roamed over his shoulders, down his arms. Her touch was soft, like he was being caressed with feathers.

"She set the village on fire in the middle of the night." She kissed him intensely, breathing rapidly. Tim wanted her. Shirra whispered, "She stabbed me, and left me for dead. There was no one around for miles to help me. I almost died."

He kissed her, releasing his passion.

"Take me, Tim," she said breathlessly to him. "Make me feel like a woman."

They kissed at a fevered pace, bodies touching, hands wandering. When he could contain himself no longer he pushed her toward the bed.

Timmy, my boy, you're such a fool. He jolted when he heard Gertie's voice in his head. It was almost like every muscle had just received a mild electrical shock. His head felt light, he felt like the room was starting to spin around him. He heard voices, suddenly, in his head. Disjointed pieces of conversation flowed through his brain. I killed her... I buried the dagger in her chest up to the hilt... You can start by asking her about her sister... You need to protect her... I don't need you to protect me, Tim... Run along, now, human... I want you to be mine... Now you know the truth... Just for the record, I love you, too.

It was like a light bulb suddenly went off in his head. He stopped, and stared into Shirra's eyes. What the hell am I doing?

"What's the matter? Why did you stop?" Shirra asked.

It had felt so right. For a few moments he had completely blocked out everything but this moment, here with Shirra. Shirra! He suddenly felt very ashamed. He had betrayed Ileeya's trust. Tim remembered how Shirra had made him feel when she talked to him. She had made his brain feel numb. He had almost believed she was the victim and Ileeya had been the one who had gone mad.

Just for the record, I love you, too. At that moment, Tim wished terribly for Ileeya's loving embrace. What had this demon woman done to him?

He had a sudden flash of the dream he had several months ago where Shirra had killed Ileeya and then took advantage of him. He shuddered from a sudden chill as he broke out into a sweat.

"Tim, finish what you started," Shirra said with a hint of anger in her voice as she stepped toward him.

She had deceived him. First by making him believe she was Ileeya, and then by confusing his brain into thinking she was the victim. She had cast some power over him to make him want her. As he looked at her, her face began to change. Very subtly her eyes began to show malice, hatred, fear. She knew he had figured her out.

"You tricked me," he said.

She gazed at him for a moment. He stood before her, defiantly.

"So," she said as she straightened her dress. "Your will is strong, Tim. I had hoped I could convince you to stay with me without resorting to drastic measures. I see now that it can't be that way. Too bad. Then again, she said as she reached out to touch his face, perhaps I'll give you another chance."

"NO!!" He grabbed wrist and shoved her backward. She landed with a dull thud on the floor. Anger flashed in her eyes as she pulled herself up.

"You leave me no choice, Tim."

"You deceiving bitch!" he shouted.

Without a word Shirra raised her hand in front of her, palm facing Tim.

"Kijru!" she shouted.

Suddenly he was hanging in midair on the wall. He couldn't move! His arms and legs felt like they were chained to the wall itself."What are you doing?" he screamed at her.

"I was so hoping we could come to an agreement," she said to him as she paced slowly back and forth in front of him, "but, obviously you insist on doing things the hard way. I don't like being rejected, Tim. Did my sweet little sister tell you about Malir, too? Your eyes say yes. Ileeya really gets around, doesn't she?"

A strange light came into her eyes as she spoke. "We both loved Malir. But I had to...leave the village to pursue my career. By the time I got back they were inseparable. I tried to convince Malir to at least give me a chance. He may not have gone back to Ileeya if he had. But he refused. He said he loved her. He rejected me. I still loved him and decided I wasn't going to give in that easy. Why should she have everything and I nothing? I cast a spell on Malir. I made him forget about Ileeya. I made him...compliant. He was mine to do with as I pleased.

But that's not all I wanted. I wanted Ileeya to join me. I knew together we'd make a formidable team. We could become as gods. No one would oppose us! But she rejected me, too. I had to get her back. I decided to slit Malir's throat right in front of her. If she was not with me, then she was against me," she chuckled and the hair on Tim's neck stood on end.

"You should have seen the look on her face when Malir's life poured out of him. It was priceless. That's when the bitch stabbed me. I swear she will pay for that a thousand times over!"

Fear gripped Tim, knotting up his stomach. He was helpless and this woman was crazy! How could he ever protect Ileeya when he couldn't even move?

"And now, I'm going to do the same thing to you," she walked over to him, pinned helplessly. His muscles tightened. He frantically tried to move his arms, to no avail. She ran a finger up the inside of his thigh. His skin crawled and he tried to move away from her, but he was frozen.

"I'm going to take all of your memories of my bitch sister away from you. If you don't want me willingly, than I'll have to make you want me unwillingly. You'll be mine to control. You'll be my servant, and you'll do my bidding. I'll have to send you back to the prison, of course, but only temporarily. I'm not ready to arouse suspicion as of yet. But soon I'll call you back to serve me. When you see Ileeya, she will mean nothing to you. You will have no interest in her."

Tim felt as if he'd puke. He thought he had been afraid at the Grand Tournament, but that was nothing compared to the terror he now felt. At least at the tournament he was able to defend himself. Here, he was totally helpless to let this demon possess him.

She closed her eyes. Her lips formed soft words he could not hear. After chanting for a few seconds she shouted, "Jondak, appear!"

In a burst of purple light Jondak suddenly appeared next to her.

"You have done very well, Jondak, and you shall be rewarded."

He gave her a low bow, "Thank you, mistress Shirra." Turning to Tim he said, "Hello Tim. It's nice to see you, in all your... glory."

Tim was furious. Jondak was working with Shirra! What was his reward to be? But deep down he knew what Jondak wanted. Ileeya was in danger.

Shirra leaned in close to his face and said in a sweet voice, "When you awaken, you'll be totally under my control."

Tim spit in her face.

Shirra's face contorted with anger, and then she gave a shrill laugh. "You'll pay for that one, Tim. Sleep now," she said as she waved her hand in front of his face. The world went black.