Between the Light and the Darkness

Between the Light in the Darkness - Conclusion

2010-07-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

The moment he saw Gertie again, Tim knew he was dreaming. But he didn't mind. He felt completely at peace at last. She smiled at him as he approached, gesturing to him to sit beside her. For a moment or two, no words were exchanged, and Tim just sat and enjoyed the quiet all around him, watching how the flowers bent in the gentle breeze and listening as the leaves whispered in the trees.

Finally. Finally it was over and he could get on with his life. Shirra and her castle were destroyed. The threat was over.

"It's not yet over, Timmy," Gertie projected her thoughts into his.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You still have another task ahead of you."

"And what's that?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Ileeya will wake you when it's time."

Tim sighed in frustration. Would this ever be truly over?

"Yes," Gertie answered. It's almost over. Then you can get on with your life. Just enjoy the moment, Timmy, you have to go soon."

Tim took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of the flowers. Then a thought occured to him.

"Gertie, where exactly are we? I mean, is this Heaven?"

"No. This is only a dream."

"A dream? But what about the other times? When I thought I was dying? Was that Heaven?"

"Technically, no. It was a figment of your imagination. You imagined me in the meadow."

Tim thought on this, not making sense of it.

"I've never really been there, Tim. Not in a way you can fully understand. All the times I helped you was a combination of your subconscience mind and Ileeya's influences. It was her way of asking for help, and nudging you to do the right thing."

"And the confusion continues..."

"Ileeya's powers have developed dramatically in a short period of time. Before she was able to control them, they were erratic. She was reaching out, but not realizing it. She set up a portal and brought you here, and helped you along the way the best her subconcious mind knew how. Consciously, she knew none of these things. But when she slept, her subconcious had a chance to reach out, and guide you. A bit haphazardly, but she eventually led you down the right path, so you could help her help the world. If not for you, the world would have perished already. So you see, the prophecy has come true."

Tim exhaled, letting his breath whistle through his teeth. This was pretty deep. He closed his eyes and let her thoughts permeate his brain, trying to understand. He wondered if he ever truly would.

"What really happened to you, Gertie? Did I...kill you?"

"No, Timmy, you didn't. Your subconcious was reaching out, as well, and under Shirra's influence, was aggressive and protective of her. I was old. It was time for me to move on. I came into your life when you needed a bit of guidance and looking after, and after you left I was done. I have no regrets. I lived a full life. Do not mourn my passing. I am happy."

"What happened after I left? After I just disappeared?"

"I waited for awhile. Sat at the kitchen table watching your steak get cold. When it got dark, I wrapped it up and put in the fridge. Then I went home. I tossed and turned all night, wondering, and in the morning I came back, only to find you still gone.

Bones was there, though, thumping his tail on the sidewalk. I called your mother, and later that evening we filed a missing persons report. They turned up nothing, of course, and after searching for two weeks, closed the case. No evidence was found anywhere, nothing to explain that you had been hurt. We were still hoping for your return. But deep down I knew that you wouldn't. Somehow, I knew that you were safe, and that you were needed somewhere else.

All those dreams you had where you were back in your apartment? I had them, too. The same dreams at the same time. And the things I said to you had to have come directly from Ileeya's influence. She knew all those things subconsciously, but didn't realize it, and through her, I was able to impart that knowledge to you - in dream form."

"But why did she choose to do it that way? Why not just come to me herself in a dream?"

"Because she needed an outside influence that you trusted."

Tim thought he was beginning to get it, now.

"Are you ready, Tim? Are you ready for the end?"

"Yes," he said honestly, "I am ready."

"Goodbye, Timmy."

"Tim? Wake up, Tim." Ileeya was gently shaking him. He was lying amongst the flowers, their soft petals crushed against his naked skin.

"We have something we need to do," she told him plainly, handing him his clothes.

Tim said nothing, simply pulled on the clothes she gave him. Then he realized the bundle she handed him wasn't the slave uniform. He turned the dark blue fabric over in his hands, puzzled, then looked up at her. He noticed for the first time that she was no longer dressed in her slave outfit, either, but a beautiful wine colored gown. She looked angelic, with her platinum hair cascading down over her shoulders.

She smiled at him. "You are no longer a slave, Tim. It's time you stopped dressing like one."

He pulled on the simple tunic and breeches, marveling in the freedom he felt, simply being in something other than his standard issue slave clothes. He liked them.

When he was dressed, Ileeya silently took his hand and led him to a clearing. "I must prepare the portal."

"Portal? Portal to where?"

"We must go back."

"Back where?"

"To Jbeu."

"What? The slave planet? Why would we want to go back there?"

"Because we're needed."

Tim realized he would get more answers if he just kept his mouth shut and observed, than if he asked all the questions bubbling in his head. He stood patiently and watched as Ileeya sat in the grass, crossed her legs, and concentrated.

A moment later, the slight breeze picked up, blowing their hair around their faces. The flowers fluttered in the wind, bowing under the force of the air. The currents swirled around Tim, blowing first from the left, then from the right, whipping his hair in different directions. Behind Ileeya he could actually see the air churning in a circular formation, almost like watching a hurricane on a weather map. The air seemed to thicken all around him, and the air currents collecting behind her grew larger, a circular force expanding outward. Tim started to feel apprehensive, not knowing what would happen next.

The heads of several flowers ripped off their stems and flew into the vortex, and Tim felt the air pulling at him. He wondered if he, too, would be sucked right into it. But as it swirled in a circular pattern, it also radiated waves of force outward. All at once it was bright, almost as bright as the sun, but it didn't hurt to look at. A good thing, since Tim found himself too awestruck to look away.

Then Ileeya stood and reached for his hand. He took it, trusting her, as she walked toward the rippling, pulsing spheroid force. Without hesitation, Ileeya stepped into it, pulling him behind her. Suddenly he was floating amidst the currents, the wind whipping about him in different directions. He felt pulled, first one way, then another. The wind was so strong it nearly sucked his breath right out of him, and he constantly felt the currents slamming into him. It was a disorienting sensation, and without the aid of gravity telling him which way was down, he felt helpless, aimless, out of control. He gripped Ileeya's hand tightly, fearing that if he let go he would be forever lost in the portal.

Without warning he felt his feet thud to the ground, jolting his insides. He fought a wave of nausea as his body equalized itself. He opened his eyes, not realizing he had them squeezed tightly shut the entire time. He looked at Ileeya beside him as the wind swirled around him, the whole process going in reverse now - the light started to die, the winds started to slowly decrease.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Ileeya smiled.

"I hope not." He hoped to never have to use a portal again.

But he happily would have stepped right back into one if it meant he could escape what he was curreently seeing. Bodies were strewn about the courtyard. Slaves, guards, and others he did not recognize were all over the place, their mutilated corpses littering the ground. Several beings were alive, some wandering, some sitting, some crying over the devestation.

The body of the king lay with the others, he was also dead. Tim looked around himself in horror at the scene.

"Ileeya...what...what happened here?"

"Shirra convinced the Jal'em that they were cheated in the tournament. They're a bloodthirsty lot, and it doesn't take much for them to get riled up. They declared war. Slaves were released to help defend their captors."

So many dead...

Slowly moving toward him, Tim saw Gylen and Kiara out of corner of his eye. They were alive! They were injured, but not severly so. Gylen walked with a limp and had a long scratch over his eye. Kiara had a couple of scraches, but otherwise in good condition. Tim rushed over to his friend, embracing him in a long hug. He never thought he would see Gylen again.

He released his friend, just as Ileeya released Kiara. The four stood for several moments, while some of the survivors surrounded them. Tim at once was nervous, not knowing their intentions. Those that could still walk gathered around them, looking at them longingly. Then, without warning, they knelt before him.

"Ileeya? What's going on?"

"They need a leader. Now that Shirra's influences and all the world leaders are dead, the people are aimless. They don't know who to follow. If left to their own devices, they'll begin to prey upon one another, each trying to take lead, but with unwilling followers. They'll all eventually crumble and perish. They need someone to stand and take control. Someone they know can deal with the aftermath of the war and take charge. To pull them all together and make them one people." She looked at him. "And they want that leader to be you."

"Me?" Tim nearly choked. "What makes them think I can do it? Why me?"
"Because of the prophecy. They know you saved them. That, and you just appeared out of thin air from a portal."

Tim looked around him. The people were kneeling now, as if they were waiting for Tim to take control of them. He could literally be the ruler of the world. His mind swam with the possibilities. He could be a king, and Ileeya could be his queen. He could lead all these people...

"Ileeya, I don't want this. I don't want to be a world leader. I just want peace. I want to live my life simply and quietly."

"Then you need to appoint someone to be the ruler."

"But what about you? What do you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. This is your decision."

"Of course it matters what you want!"

Ileeya reached out and touched Tim's cheek. "My only want is to be with you, be it your queen or simply your wife, wherever you decide to go, I will follow."

"Then I wish to appoint Gylen as leader. He will make a fair and just king. Will you accept?"

"Yes, brother, friend. I accept."

"Then it's settled." He turned to Ileeya. "So, what happens now?"

"We leave. Gylen and Kiara have much to do. They have to apply order, clean up the carnage, have a crowning ceremony, then appoint leaders for the other provinces. It will be up to them how the lands are divided and who will assist in ruling them."

"And where do we go?"

"Home. Wherever you want that to be."

Home...

*****

Tim paused to wipe the sweat from his brow and took in his surroundings. It never failed to surprise him how far they had come in the last eleven months. While working his construction job on earth, which seemed like a hundred years ago, he never would have guessed he would be using those skills to build a small farmhouse in which to live. And the long hot days in the prison garden came in handy, too, because now his garden was lush and green, and nearly ready for harvest. The vegetables would be picked, soon, and would then need to be perserved for use during the winter. Winter. That's something he never thought he would see again. Already there was a slight bite to the wind.

It would have been simple, yes, to have Ileeya simply wave her hand and make a house appear; put food on the table. But Tim found he really enjoyed the hard work. It made everything he had, and everything he had gained since the destruction of half the universe, seem real.

But occasionally he wanted a steak, or a deep crust smothered with mushrooms and pepperoni, or an old fashioned peach cobbler a la mode, with french vanilla ice cream just starting to melt and dribbling down the sides, like Gertie use to make, and it was nice to know those little indulgences could be had.

He plunged his hands into the rich soil again, marvelling at its softness as he pulled the strangling weeds from the lush plants. When Ileeya had asked him where he wanted to live, he thought of earth, his parents, his old life. But he was a different person now. A man forever changed by his experiences, and knew it would be more than difficult to try to adjust to the way things used to be. And Ileeya being an elf on Earth? That would be far more complicated than either of them could handle. Simplicity. That's what he wanted. But, thanks to Ileeya, he could still see his parents, who adopted Bones, in his dreams. They would have the same dreams of him, and would know that he was safe and happy.

There. The weeding was finally done. Tim began the walk to the crystal stream that flowed a short distance from their house to wash up. His thoughts wandered once again to the confrontation with Shirra and Jondak.

He had always credited Ileeya with the feelings he felt during that battle. The raw hatred bubbling right below the surface, only to explode into a powreful force that he could feel; a force that fueled a bloodlust he never even knew he had, never knew he could have been capable of. He asked her why she made him feel that way.

But she had told him, "I didn't. I gave you strength and courage, but after a momet, I could no longer influence you. It was like you were possessed - I couldn't reach you. So I took that opportunity to search through Shirra's mind, instead. You killed Jondak on your own."

He was never sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, it was liberating. He could finally find an outlet for all the pent up rage he had. He could finally get revenge on Jondak for all the horrible things he had done. He could finally make things right. But it also scared him. What else was he capable of?

Ileeya was already at the stream, dipping her toes just under its cool, reflective surface. He stopped and just gazed contentedly at her. She was a vision. He would never tire of looking at the way the sun played on her hair, casting bright highlights that glowed brilliantly in its light.

She turned her head and gazed up at him, giving him a crooked smile. Then she hauled herself up off the bank, which was quite a feat in her condition, and waddled over to him. That's something else he didn't know he was capable of. Months ago, when she first told him they were expecting a child, he was speechless.

"But...but you said...,"

"I lied. I was trying to rattle her cage and I lied."

Tim had initially felt sadness at the loss of life Shirra possessed. The child she was carrying, his child, was destroyed along with her. But the seed had been corrupted at the time of its planting, and that child would have grown up twisted and malformed, just like his mother.

Tim rubbed Ileeya's swollen belly affectionately. She was due any day now, and the baby he had been talking to all these months would finally come into the world and meet them face to face. Despite all his losses, Tim counted himself fortunate. He had a good life, the woman of his dreams, and was going to be a father. His life was complete.

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 33

2010-07-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Tim...I'm okay. Wait for my signal...

Tim visibly jolted and tears sprung to his eyes. Alive? Ileeya was alive? He wanted to jump for joy, to sing from the mountain tops, to laugh and cry at the same time. But instead he forced his face to remain still as possible. But Shirra noticed the way he jumped.

"What's the matter, love? You're not afraid, are you? A big strong man, such as yourself?"

A groaning sound suddenly started coming from Jondak's still form. "...bitch..." it clearly said. Shirra whirled around in surprise and approached him.

Tim felt suddenly dizzy. A disoriented feeling washed over him, making his limbs feel numb. His head started to spin and he fought to keep the room in focus.

Shirra reached Jondak's form and studied it a moment. She kicked it, and it groaned again. "...lousy lover..."

As the world came back into focus slowly, Tim put his hands around his head, trying to clear it. But his hands were not his own...

In anger, Shirra lifted the sword in her hands and stabbed it as hard as she could into Jondak's body. It stabbed deep under his rib cage, deep enough hit the floor underneath him.

Tim - walk toward my sister and stop a several feet away. You can go through the bars, now, but do not try to attack her.

Tim looked down at his body. He wasn't himself! He was a woman! He suddenly realized that Ileeya must have cast some sort of illusion on him.

He did as he was instructed. He cringed when he got to the bars, but kept walking. Just as Ileeya said, he passed through them like they weren't even there.

"Shirra," he felt himself say in a woman's voice. He quickly pushed those thoughts aside and concentrated on the task at hand. Surely Ileeya could change him back, right?

At the sound of the voice, Shirra whirled around to face him/her, the sword falling noisily to the floor. "Granny? Grandmother Lainel? But...but you're dead...," tears sprung into her eyes as she gazed in wonder at the sight before her.

"Only my earthly form, dear. You can never truly kill a witch. Especially one pure of heart."

"Why do you visit me now?"

"Shirra, what have I always taught you about magic? I taught you to never use it for evil. Only for good." Tim felt his arm wave towards Jondak's body. "Why didn't you listen?"

"Grandma...I tried. I tried to use it for good. But...then father kicked me out...I had nowhere to go. I found Samael's cabin...and...and..." she said through her whimpers. "Why didn't you come to me sooner? Things may have been different."

Tim noticed in his peripheral vision Ileeya slowly start to rise. She brought her finger to her lips, indicating he keep going the way he was, allowing her to channel words into him.

He kept looking at Shirra, not daring to look away from her eyes. Never take your eyes off your opponent, not even for a second.

"I couldn't hover over you to help you make the right decisions, Shirra. That was something you needed to do for yourself."

Shirra said nothing, just sobbed into her hands.

"I missed you so much, Grandma. All these years...when I needed you...why didn't you come sooner? I have hurt so many. And I can never go back."

Slowly, slowly, Ileeya righted herself. In super slow motion she began to walk toward them.

"It's never too late to change, dear. You cannot undo the past, but you can learn from it. You can take that knowledge and change your future."

Shirra glared at her. "All these years! I mourned for you. You were the only person in my life that made me feel I had meaning. That showed me I had promise. And you had the ability to visit me sooner, but you didn't?"

Ileeya was getting closer. She was about seven feet away.

"You wait until now, when my plans are nearly complete, when my life has come full circle and it's time for me to show what that promise has grown into. Why now?!"

Four feet...

"Sweetie. I already told you. It's not up to me to make your decisions for you. You are an adult, and capable of thinking for yourself."

Three feet...

"But what about before that? When father kicked me out. When I desperately needed guidance and someone to love me...what about then!? Why did you not come see me then!? I needed you! I needed someone...and I found Samael! I needed you!"

Ileeya stopped beside sword and quietly knelt to pick it up. Tim almost winced at the minute scraping sound as she lifted the blade from the floor. It seemed loud to him, but Shirra didn't notice. She was distraught, and the only sound she was hearing now was the conversation she was having.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you at that time in your life. You had to find your own way, without anyone's help."

"Oh, but I did find help! Samael helped me plenty. He showed me what it felt like to wield true power. The power to hurt is much stronger than the power to heal. And it's much easier. He showed me how to bend things to my will, to use force to get what I want. He taught me, then he showed me physically, while he beat and raped me!! And if you had been there, I could have gotten away!"

Two feet...

"But dear...I'm dead in the physical sense. I couldn't be there to help you."

"THEN HOW CAN YOU BE HERE NOW?" She angrily raised her hands. Tim felt himself fly backward and hit the wall of the cage. His teeth clacked in his skull from the impact. Ileeya's enchantment on the bars had obviously worn off, because he felt his back slam into them.

Ileeya raised the sword...

The illusion vanished. The force of the blow returned Tim to normal. He sunk to the floor, unable to take his eyes off of what was happening.

Shirra's eyes grew large. "No...a trick?"

She turned to face Ileeya, just as the sword was brought straight into her chest. As quickly as Ileeya plunged it in, she pulled the sword free in an abrupt yank and skewered her sister again.

Shirra's hands flew up to the sword. The horrified expression on her face faded and a mocking one took its place. She looked into Ileeya's eyes. "Better run." Then she let out a scream that started in her throat and magnified a hundred times as it left her mouth.

The scream echoed through the chamber, filling every crevice, a deafening sound that made Tim's eardrums feel close to bursting. He clamped his hands over his ears to block out the sound. He could feel the sound vibrations in the floor, causing his legs to shake. He stumbled and nearly lost his balance.

Tim! We have to get out of here! The castle is catching on fire.

Tim opened his eyes. Blue flames quickly consumed Shirra and began to spread across the floor. Thick black smoke curled up from the fire, and the combination of the two quickly obscured his vision. The temperature in the room dropped dramatically, and Tim found himself fighting a sudden chill. The sound of Shirra's scream bounced loudly off the walls, penetrating his head like a sharp knife.

Tim!

Ileeya! I can't see!

Stay put, I'm coming to get you!

The smoke was making his eyes water and he began to choke as it entered his throat. He started feeling lightheaded from lack of oxygen and stumbled to the side. He winced when he grabbed hold of the bars to hoist himself up. They were ice cold and singed his hands. A second later he felt a pair of hands on him. Then he had the sensation of being pulled then darkness...

Tim awoke in a field of flowers. He wondered what this dream would hold for him, and what would happen when he woke up. He felt Ileeya's presence next to him. He reached out for her and held her tight, savoring the moment while he waited for the dream to reveal its purpose.

She clung to him as well, pulling his body tightly against hers. He snuggled into her hair, enjoying its light fragrance. Gently, he placed a kiss on her neck, then another a little higher. His lips traveled up to her ear, across her cheek to her waiting lips.

He caressed her shoulder, running his hand down her arm. Her hands roamed his back as the kiss deepened. He kissed her neck again, placing gentle feathery kisses down to her chest. A soft mewling sound escaped her throat as Tim continued lowering his kisses.

His hands explored the length of her body, stopping occasionally to make small circles on her flesh. She gasped at his touch and pulled his face up to hers for a slow penetrating kiss. He moved to her ear again and whispered, "This is a beautiful dream."

"This isn't a dream, Tim. This is real."

He pulled up and looked around himself. The flowers stretched as far as the eye could see. Large willow type trees speckled his surroundings, and a short distance off, congregated in a large, dense group.

She gently pulled his face toward hers and looked into his eyes. "I want you."

She didn't have to say another word.

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 32

2009-04-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ileeya fell on her side, choking, while Shirra laughed. But then Shirra fell to her side as well, wheezing along side her sister and cluthing her throat which was constricting tightly.

"Ghoeine," Shirra choked. Instantly the pressure was gone. Both sisters stood and gazed at each other. "Nicely done. You may provide more of a challenge than I thought."

"You can't kill me as easily as you think, either, Shirra. I do have Father's warrior spirit in me."

"Father! I tire of talking about him. Warriors are weak minded. They cannot open their mind to the possibilities of things greater than a sword. My son will wield a sword and practice magic. Very difficult, I know, but I want him to rule with power to vanquish his enemies in any way possible."

"Your son?"

Shirra smiled and crossed her arms. "Yes, foolish sister. I'm pregnant with Tim's baby. Did he forget to tell you? Maybe he didn't want you know how close we were that day. It was the best time I ever had, and from that beautiful union, a child will be born."

"But you're not even pregnant."

"Yes," Shirra sighed exasperatedly, "I am. With your lover's child. How does that make you feel? Even after you both are gone, Tim's genes will live on, and conquer and control. Actually, I think I'll spare Tim. I'll keep him locked in the dungeon so he can watch his son grow up from behind bars. So he can see what a fine man his son becomes."

"No, Shirra. You are not pregnant. Tim is sterile."

"What?!" Shirra screamed.

"What?!" Tim echoed behind her.

"Even multiplied, his seed can't fertilize."

"No. That's not true..."

"He will never father a child."

Tim felt like someone had just slapped him. Sterile? He could never be a father?

"But, even now, I feel a life growing inside of me. Stretching, wiggling, content. I can feel it - I know it is there."

"You want it to be there. You wanted it so badly that you wouldn't even stop to consider that it wasn't possible. Your body responded to your wishes. You imagined the whole thing."

"That's not possible. You're lying. Tim's child will be born."

"Did you use your magic to see if you were actually carrying a child? Or did you just assume you were?"

"I didn't need magic to tell me - I could feel it! I can feel it still!"

Ileeya shrugged indifferently. "You should have checked. Perhaps you're carrying Jondak's child."

"That's not possible. I stopped bedding Jondak when I started bedding Tim."

Tim, wait for my signal. Ileeya's words in his brain shook him out of his reverie. What signal? What was she planning?

Trust me, Tim. He waited while the sisters continued to bicker.

"Shut up! You're just jealous! Jealous that I'm carrying Tim's baby!"

"I have nothing to be jealous of. He never loved you. Never! Do you hear me you, bitch? Tim never loved you. You had to force his passion. It never meant anything to him. Everytime you brought him hear for your pleasure, it meant nothing to him. It was just an act! He came back to me! And he loved me completely."

Shirra's face grew dark. "Bitch, am I? I do believe you're right - dear sister!!"

Shirra abruptly threw her hand out at Ileeya, causing her trip over her feet and land on her backside.

Then, Tim's sword slid across the room toward Ileeya, and stopped right in front of her.

"Go ahead, Ileeya. Pick it up. It's time we finished this." She half smiled, mocking her sister.

Ileeya looked at Shirra skeptically for a moment. Then at the sword. She raised herself to her feet and bent to pick it up. She looked at her sister and took a step toward her. Shirra smiled, waved her hand, and instantly the sword grew hot in Ileeya's grasp. So hot it began to singe her skin.

Ileeya yelped in pain and tried to drop the sword, but it was stuck. She howled as the pommel began to melt into her flesh. Smoke could now be seen rising up from her hand. Tears came to her eyes from the pain, then she closed her eyes and concentrated.

The sword dropped to the floor with a clang. Shirra threw her head back and laughed again, while Ileeya surveyed her hand for damage. She concentrated on it, and the flesh slowly began to heal itself, the burns started to fade, and her normal pale skin could be seen underneath.

But she was distracted. And while she was healing her hand, the sword raised into the air. Shirra moved her hand up to chest level and the sword raised as well. Then Shirra pulled her hand backward pushed it foward quickly, like an open handed punch.

The sword mimicked her movements, and jabbed forward at Ileeya. It plunged into her chest and she screamed. In slow motion, Ileeya fell over, clutching her chest. She fell to the ground, and blood puddled beneath her. Her eyes closed.

"NOOOOO!!!" Tim felt like he had suffered the wound. To see the love of his life fall from his enemy's hand killed him. He shook the bars and screamed it over and over until his throat felt numb while Shirra simply regarded silently.

He sobbed openly. Shirra walked over to the cage. "You really did love her, didn't you? She never realized how lucky she was, how good she had it. I felt love for a brief time..."

"You fucking bitch! I want you dead! I want to kill you myself!" Tim's emotions were muddled. Pain and anger became one, the bloodlust was returning and he desperately wanted nothing more than to kill the witch that stood before him.

Tim let out an anguished groan.

"Is that what you want?" Her sticky sweet voice dripped at him. "Alright. I suppose I could give you a sporting chance."

She turned toward Ileeya's crumpled form, the sword still stuck in her chest. "Ebdien," she mumbled quietly. The sword wiggled itself free, rose into the air, and flew into Shirra's hand.

She approached the cage, sword in hand. Instinctively, he backed away, afraid she would ram it into him rather than give it to him. His legs grew weak and he slumped to the floor.

"Now. I think it's about time I stopped playing with my toys and got back to work. Do you think you can do better than my sister? You have no magic to aid you. And though your sword skills are coming along, they're still lacking."

To be continued...

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 31

2009-04-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Jondak grinned widely as he picked up his weapons. Tim wondered why Shirra didn't just outright kill him, rather than have Jondak fight him.

But she stood there, watching serenely, and Tim understood. She wanted him to suffer, but by Jondak's hand so she could witness it. She wanted entertainment, or perhaps it was a reward for all of Jondak's hard work.

Whatever the reason, Tim didn't have much time to dwell on it, because Jondak closed the distance quickly, both weapons raised high above his head. His face was pulled back in a bloodthirsty grimace, as he struck out at Tim.

~*~*~*~*

Ileeya struggled with the invisible bonds, but she was held fast. She had a glimpse inside her sister's head. She was looking through Shirra's memories as she talked, trying to find a weakness she could take advantage of. She had been unprepared for her sister's sudden movement, and consequently, was now stuck.

She tried to concentrate on freeing herself, but an abrupt cry from Tim brought her back to reality. Instead, she decided to do what she could to help him through this battle, because, truth be told, Jondak was a superior fighter. Tim was in danger.

~*~*~*~*

Remember your lessons, Tim. Suddenly hearing Ileeya's voice inside his head almost made him falter, but he managed to keep his pace. Never strike out of haste. Watch your opponent carefully. Never take your eyes off your him, not even for a second. Look for the right time. And above all else, think!

Jondak was a whirlwind of motion. His arms were pinwheeling so fast, delivering blow upon blow, Tim wasn't sure how he could study him. He realized that even by now, barely three minutes into the battle, he should have been dead. Jondak had already hit him more than a dozen times. But Tim had suffered barely more than a scratch.

Then he noticed the macabre glint in Jondak's eyes. Jondak was only hitting with the flats of his blades, rather than the points. He was toying with him. Like a cat tortures a mouse before finally ending its suffering and killing it. Was he doing this for intimidation? Or just sick pleasure? Whatever the reason, Tim tried to brace himself for when the real attacks came.

Tim managed to score a hit on Jondak's left arm. A fairly good one, right above the elbow. It slowed Jondak's attacks with that arm and gave Tim a little more time to watch and defend himself. But not much, because the blow also took the twisted smile off Jondak's face and replaced it with one of hatred.

Jondak yelled, and brought his right blade in a full sweep across Tim's face. He immediately struck again with his left, turned full circle and struck with his right again before Tim even had a chance to react. Jondak's precision aim was alarming, he had struck all three blows on Tim's right cheek. He felt his skin rip painfully as the blades tore through it, and the gashes immediately started bleeding. Tim forced himself to stand his ground and not give in to the pain, because Jondak would surely take advantage of the opening.

And then suddenly, he felt a swirling coolness covering his brain. He felt relaxed and comforted, and knew without looking at her, that Ileeya had caused it. The coolness traveled down his neck and into his shoulders, and slowly made its way down his arms.

Now his arms felt relaxed but alert, full of power, speed, and confidence. He struck quickly at Jondak, catching him off guard, and raking his sword across Jondak's chest. The Irnaxxian glared at him. Brace yourself, Tim, the worst is yet to come.

Jondak sliced with his right hand, turned his body full circle, and stabbed with his injured left. The stab was weak, and Tim dodged it, but the slice caught him in the stomach. He grunted from the pain, but forced himself to remain alert.

The tempo of the fight increased. The force of Jondak's blows pushed Tim backward. The blows were mostly blocked by Tim's sword, but they were agressive, and Tim had difficulty planting his feet against them. Jondak was striking to kill now.

In his mind's eye, Tim saw himself and Ileeya lying in a meadow full of flowers. He was happy, because he knew there was no danger, just the two of them, free to show their love for each other with nothing standing in their way. No prison, no tournaments, no Jondak or Shirra. He gazed into her beautiful eyes, so full of passion and devotion...

The image calmed him even more, and he felt his sword arm strike almost of its own accord. Jondak grunted, and Tim suddenly realized that he could do this. This was not an impossible task. He had to do this. He put all of his fears of Jondak aside and concentrated on the image. He could have that. He must have that. You need to protect her.

Then Tim saw another image. It was the image of Jondak pushing Ileeya up against the wall with a knife to her throat. She was afraid, pleading. Jondak smiled cruelly at her. Tim could even hear the fabric of her dress tearing as Jondak forced himself on her.

But the image did not frighten him. It angered him, greatly. He struck out at Jondak, struck out for blood. He attacked just as aggressively as the Irnaxxian had at him.

The sudden shift in Tim's demeanor surprised Jondak, and he stumbled backward slightly at the force of the blow. Clearly he hadn't expected that Tim was capable of such ferocity.

Tim hit again, and again, channeling all the anger and hatred he had suffered in the past several months at Jondak. He had shifted from defender to aggresor, and came upon Jondak with a renewed sense of self preservation, but one that stemmed from anger rather than fear.

Jondak recovered quickly, though, and anticipated Tim's attacks, changing his strategy as well. Now he used his short swords to both block and attack. He didn't score nearly as many hits this way, though, and Tim landed a hard hit on Jondak's left shoulder. It was the same arm he had wounded before, and now it was completely out of commission. Jondak attempted to raise it to block, but failed.

Tim showed no mercy as he brought his sword into Jondak's neck. The wound gaped, and a spatter of blood splashed on Tim's face. Jondak howled, and there was fear in his eyes. Tim fed off the fear, and brought his sword down on Jondak again before the Irnaxxian had time to recover. This one cleaved into his left arm just above the elbow, slicing through mucles and tendons.

Jondak was breathing heavy now, blatant fear showing on his face. Tim's own face was wet with a spatter of Jondak's blood, and he showed nothing but a lust to see Jondak's life come to an end.

"Tim," Jondak said between pants. "I'll make you a deal. Let me live and I'll forget about Ileeya. You can have her fair and square, and I'll not bother you anymore."

Don't listen to him, Tim! He's lying!

Tim didn't need to hear Ileeya's voice to know this. There was no way he would ever trust Jondak. He was running scared, now. He knew Tim had the advantage. With a sneer on his face, he rammed his sword through Jondak's chest, watching with a sick fascination as it pierced through skin, organs, and clothing and emerged from the other side coated in the Irnaxxian's blood.

He stepped in close to Jondak, who was now wheezing his last breaths. "I don't make deals with bastards," Tim growled, and with as much force as he shoved it in, he jerked the bloody weapon back out. Jondak swayed on his feet a moment before falling backward, dead.

Tim turned to Shirra, glowering, still fueled with a heavy bloodlust. "I have killed your henchman. You're next."

Shirra's high pitched laugter echoed around the chamber. The sound caused the hair on his arms to stand on end. Such a wicked sound.

"Congratulations, Tim. What do you want, a medal? I was going to kill him anyway, you know. I just wanted a little entertainment, first. I truly thought he would win. But you surprised me. Now, more than ever, I regret the fact you turned your back on me, because we could have really been something together. But sadly, I'm going to have to kill you both."

Tim approached her, sword raised. Shirra looked at him casually, before abruptly raising her hand at him. Tim suffered an electrical jolt up the length of both arms, causing them to jerk backward and his hands to open, releasing the sword. The sword slid several feet away, out of reach. He collapsed to the cool stone floor to catch his breath.

"Now that's enough," Shirra said quietly. "Do you really think it's going to be that easy to kill me? Do you really think I am the same weak coward Jondak was? You should know better by now, Tim."

"Shirra! Release me," Ileeya yelled at her. This is not about Tim. It's between you and me."

"Release you? Why, that would be rather foolish, don't you think?"

"If you don't release me, than you are a coward."

Shirra's eyes clouded over with hate for a moment, but then she raised her arm and Ileeya could move freely again.

"Alright then," Shirra purred. "It's time to finish this. But do not think there is a chance that I will spare you again. And realize that as soon as I'm done with you, Tim will be killed as well."

Ileeya said nothing. She closed her eyes for a second, and caused Shirra to fly backward, falling over the bench that was behind her. Shirra got up and brushed herself off, smiling.

"Impressive. Did you learn that just today? Is that all you're capable of? Or can you do more?"

Ileeya closed her eyes again, and this time sent a heavy sculpture flying at Shirra's head.

Shirra simply turned and threw her hand out, shattering it to pieces, the small pebbles bouncing along the stone floor and landing at her feet .

"I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that, dear. How about trying this?" She twirled her hand in the air. "ldajocvod!" Ileeya suddenly clutched her throat, gasping for breath. She staggered, then fell to her knees as she fought the constriction.

"NO!" Tim yelled and rushed at Shirra. Shirra turned and scowled at Tim. She raised her hand and suddenly Tim found himself in a cage with thick metal bars. He grabbed at them and shook them, but they were solid.

To be continued...

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 30

2009-04-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

I wandered for hours, and finally sat under a large tree and just cried. All the pain and rage I felt just came out in a rush, I could no longer contain it. I cried until the sun sank low in the sky, then with fear, I realized I was alone in the woods - lost. I had nowhere to go.

If Granny were alive, I would have gone to stay with her. But I had no one. So while you were having a quiet dinner all alone with father, or maybe sitting at Mother's bedside talking about your training, I was alone and scared, deeper in the woods than I had ever been.

I got up, then, and began to walk deeper in. It was so dark under the thick canopy of the trees. I walked on. Then, as the sun was just starting to slide into the horizon, I saw it.

A small cabin hiding amidst the trees, nearly out of sight. I walked toward it, hoping the owner of it would allow me to stay for the night and then I would figure out what to do.

When I got a little closer, I could see a man leaning against the side of the house.
He watched me approach, gazed into me, making me feel apprehensive, but I continued on and stopped before him. He was...beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Malir.

"I've been waiting for you," he said to me.

"Why? I don't even know you."

He smiled at me, but it made me shiver, it didn't hold much warmth. "You will, soon enough."

He took me inside and led me to a small bed. He didn't say a word, and he didn't have to. I immediately crawled under the blankets and sank into a deep sleep.

I awoke hours later. It was still dark, so I guessed it must have been early morning.

I climbed out of the bed and looked around myself. I couldn't believe what I saw.

Tables lined the walls of the cabin, and those tables were filled with arcane items, items used in the practice of magic. I gasped aloud, for the only other place I had seen such things was in Grandmother Lainel's secret study.

The man was sitting at the table, eating the meat of a small game animal, with roast vegetables. There was a plate set across from him. The smell of the food made my mouth water, I suddenly realized how hungry I was.

He watched me eat with an amused smile on his beautiful face. When I finished, he snapped his fingers, and the plates disappeared right off the table! I was stunned! He practiced magic, and wasn't afraid. Of course, being so secluded, there was no one around who could see.

"Welcome to my home, Shirra."

"How did you know my name?"

He ignored my question and smiled. "I am Samael."

From then on, Samael taught me many things. Unlike Granny, he never used his magic to help; always to harm. He was not a patient teacher.

He often scolded, often chided. But I was determined to learn. Even if I wanted to, I had the feeling that I wouldn't be allowed to leave.

When I became an adult, we...celebrated. Samael became more than just my teacher, and I became more than his apprentice. He never asked - he just took, whenever the mood struck him, which was often.

I began to hate him. He was no longer my savior, but my enemy. I missed Malir terribly, and longed to be near him again. I was in love with him too, you see. You weren't the only one.

I dared mention the village one night. That was the last time I ever did so. I began to plot, to create a plan to kill Samael. I wanted to be free. Free to go back to Malir and make a life with him.

I had learned many things during my stay at Samael's house. And I felt I was ready to move on. But it wasn't that simple. I tried to poison him once. And he found out. I could barely move after the beating he gave me that day. And I hated him even more.

Samael had big plans to be a great ruler. He planned on ruling over everyone and everything - I was to be his queen. But I didn't want to be his queen. I wanted to be with Malir - for him to be my king, and Samael to be dead. I wanted to rule everything.

Surely Malir must miss me too, by now. I didn't give up hope to be with him. But what could I do to gain my freedom? How would I get away? I thought long and hard, and finally one night, I had an idea.

One night while he was asleep, I cast a spell over the wine. I made it one hundred times stronger than normal. Though the taste was only slightly altered, the wine would have a stronger affect on anyone who drank it. At dinner the next night, I was so nervous I couldn't even stomach the idea of food. But I forced myself to remain calm and eat anyway.

One sip of the wine and Samael was suspicious. He swished it around in his mouth for a moment before swallowing, then studied me carefully. I knew he couldn't see inside my head, all of his powers, as great as they were, were learned. Nothing came to him naturally. But he would be able to read my face and body language, so with all my concentration, I acted as normal as possible.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him.

He didn't answer right away - just kept gazing at me. Inside I was terrified that he knew.

"You're not trying to poison me again, are you?"

I breathed a tiny sigh of relief. "No, Samael," I answered truthfully. For the wine was not poisoned.

Samael was quite fond of wine, and after the first cup he asked for another. I obliged. It wasn't long before he drank the whole bottle. We...were in bed...afterward. I couldn't sleep. The strong snores coming from Samael told me he was probably out cold.

But to make certain, I prodded him several times in the ribs. He didn't even stir and I knew the time had come. My heart beat in my chest so hard I thought it tear a hole through it.

I got Samael's dagger, the one he used to gut small animals to use in his potions, and I quickly slit his throat before I had a chance to change my mind. I watched as the blood bubbled out of the wound, ran around the sides of his neck and stained the sheets underneath him.

He woke up and reached for me. I was terrified! Terrified that he would repair the damage and I would be stuck there. If he recovered, the punishment would be severe. Without hesitation, I brought the dagger up, held tightly in both of my trembling hands, and plunged it into his heart. Two, three, four times...I lost count.

He was dead. I giggled to myself. Then I laughed wildly as I stared down at him. I was free! Finally - after four years! I was free for Malir. I had promised myself that I would stay true to Grandmother Lainel's teachings - that if Malir and I could have a happy life together, never again would I use my magic to harm another soul.

It was still dark when I returned, many hours of night were left. I knew everyone would be asleep, but I had to see Malir right away. I snuck to his house and knocked on the window.

He came outside to see me. He was so handsome! The moonlight shone off his hair, making it look like strands of silver. I said nothing of Samael. But I told him I had come back to be with him. I tried to hug him, but he pushed me away.

"I'm in love with Ileeya," he told me. "We're to be married."

I was crushed. It felt like a thousand rocks had just fallen on me. I didn't even know what to do. He left, went back into his house without even a goodbye - left me standing outside with my heart shattered in pieces.

I ran back into the forest and cried for the rest of the night. When the sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon, I finally fell asleep, dreaming troubled dreams where everything I ever wanted in my life had been taken away - by YOU!!!

When I awoke, I decided to visit you - to ask you to free Malir so that I may be with him. But as usual, you said no. I decided right then that he would be mine, anyway.

And you know the rest, don't you, my sweet, darling sister? I came back that night and visited Malir again. I gave him another chance. I begged him.

But still he said no. I couldn't stand it. I decided to erase his memories of you, then he would be with me, and love me.

But then I had a better idea. I thought that if we banded together, we could rule everything, our village, our world, and much more. You could be my second in command, the leader of my great army. I would be proud to rule with you by my side. As much as I had hated you, this was my plan to become friends with you once again. I was even willing to let you have Malir. Of course I was still planning on using him for stud service, so I would have an heir, but he would have been yours.

I cast a sleep spell over the entire village, then called a mighty fire. One that would consume entire buildings within seconds, so no one would have a chance to make it out alive. I cared not for the villagers - not even for our parents. They no longer meant anything to me.

Why do you think the spell didn't affect you, sister? Why do you think you were able to escape the blaze that ate your home? Because I spared you. I SPARED YOU - so that I may make my proposition to you.

But, you declined. I should have realized you would. I think deep down I knew you'd be horrified at what I had done. You would mourn your losses, instead of jumping at the chance to wield power. You always thought you were better than everyone else! Better than me!

It was then that I decided I would stop at nothing - NOTHING - to get what I wanted. To achieve my dream. And for years, I moved along, unhindered. But then Tim came along.

Now she shot Tim an icy glare. A chill ran up his spine at the sight of it. He had a very bad feeling about this.

"Tim came along and you were happy. Again, you were getting what you wanted. Even stuck in a slave camp, you were happy! So I decided to see if I could take that away from you. If, for just once in my life, I could make you suffer like you'd done to me so many times. It almost worked...but Tim being human caused my spell not to stick. And once again, you took my happiness away!! And you will pay!"

Without warning, Shirra threw her hand out toward Ileeya - causing her to slam into the wall, arms and legs pinned. Even Ileeya hadn't anticipated it, and looked just as surprised as the rest.

In a flash, there appeared before Tim a sword, and before Jondak, two short swords. Tim was momentarily stunned.

She turned to look at him, studying his face carefully, drinking him in. Then she turned to Jondak. "Finish him," she spat!

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 29 - The Showdown - Part 1

2009-03-26T17:29:00.001-07:00

"Well what do we have here? It's my dear sister, come to visit me after all this time? Why did you wait so long? I've missed you. You could have at least come to see me once or twice. Oh wait. I know why. It's because you were trapped in a slave camp. Forced to do menial labor and to fight for your life every year. It's so good that you're an expert fighter, because otherwise, you would have died long ago. But no, you managed to succeed for ten years. But let's not stand here and talk - come out in the open so we can talk like civilized beings."

Tim swallowed hard. He knew Shirra was her most dangerous when she was using that sticky sweet voice. It was only a matter of time before the floodgates opened and she came at them full force. He was unsure what to do. Any move on his part, and it would surely mean the end of them both. So for now, he did nothing, but measure her carefully and keep an eye on Jondak. The Irnaxxian was glaring at him with a sneering smile on his face.

Shirra and Jondak turned and walked into the large room, which had comfortable furniture and a fireplace - a place where one might relax and enjoy a quiet moment, or where one may entertain some company. But he had the feeling that's not what Shirra planned to do.

And for a terribly awkward moment, the four just stood there looking at each other, each wrapped in their own thoughts, no one saying a word. Shirra walked over to the stone fireplace to light a fire, which if it were not for the circumstances, would have been cheerful. But it did nothing to lift the chill from the air.

Finally, Shirra broke the silence. "Would you care for a drink? Maybe a nice chat by the fire?" Though her words sounded like they were spoken by a good hostess, her face did not reflect that all. The danger in her eyes was more than noticeable.

"Cut the crap, Shirra. What do you want?"

"What do I want? Hmmm. I want to rule the Planes. I want to have total control over every living being in existence. I want to be a queen, perched happily upon my velvet throne, in a fancy dress, with servants at my beck and call. I want my every whim met within seconds. Oh yes, and I want you dead."

"What makes you think you're entitled to all of that?" Ileeya asked with just as much force in her voice as Shirra.

"Perhaps I am, perhaps I'm not, it makes no difference, because I shall have it anyway."

"You're greedy and self centered. You always have been. You've always thought you should have more than you did. You always thought your world wasn't good enough."

Shirra glared at her sister for a moment, a darkness seeping into her eyes. "Greedy? Self centered? You're one to talk, dear sister. You're the one who was the gem of the household. You're the one who father always crooned over because of your ability with a sword. You're the one who always had his heart, while I stood on the outside looking in. All I ever wanted was to be accepted for who I am, for my differences.

"But instead of winning any of Father's favor, I was always pushed aside, scolded for my interests, and forced to pick up arms and become one with society. To be Father's dream. To be a great warrior. But I couldn't do that for him. It sure is a good thing you were able to pick up the slack, because Father surely would have had a nervous breakdown if neither of his children followed in his footsteps."

"Father loved you the same, Shirra. He just had a hard time understanding where you were coming from."

"NO HE DIDN'T! He knew perfectly well where I was coming from - you know he did. He just refused to accept it. And because it was such a part of me, of who I am, he refused to accept me as well."

"Can you blame him, Shirra? You know what villagers think of magic and those who practice it. He was trying to protect you."

"Could he not have put his arm around me and told me he loved me, then, if he loved me so much? He wasn't trying to protect me, he was trying to protect himself."

"He cried after he sent you away. He cried for days, he hadn't wanted it to end that way."

"Good! I'm glad I caused him to feel some pain. It pales in comparison to the pain I felt on a daily basis. The pain I had to live with every single day, while I watched father favor you! Do you have any idea what that felt like? DO YOU?!

"Of course you don't! Because you've never had to live with it. You got everything you've ever wanted. You got a loving father. You got to live in the comfort and security of our home, where you wanted for nothing. You were betrothed to one of the most promising men of the village. You had everything!"

"You took that all away from me!!"

Shirra smiled. "Yes, I did. Finally, I was able to ruin someone else's life for a change. And it was about time, because I was sick of living in your shadow. Just an afterthought."

"You know that's not true. You were given every opportunity to fit in."

"I didn't want to fit in! I just wanted to be me! To be loved and recognized for who I am! But I could never have it. Instead I was kicked out of the house! The house I lived in, when I was little more than a child. Not even old enough to be on my own! Blamed for mother's failing health."

"Can you blame Father for making that assumption? You have to admit the evidence did not lie in your favor. He knew what you were up to more than you thought. He knew how you liked to experiment."

"He only knew because you told him, because you were his darling pet."

"No, Shirra. I never told him anything about you practicing magic in secret. He just knew. He grew up with it. He's had to see it many more times than most boys in our village. Most children grow up never seeing it, but Father lived with it because of Grandmother Lainel."

At the mention of her grandmother, Shirra's face clouded even more. Tim could feel the pent up tension in her, and knew it wouldn't be much longer before she lost control. Jondak was doing as he was, letting the two sisters have it out and not interfering, for that would surely be dangerous.

"You know nothing of Granny. Nothing! Granny was the one person who understood me. The one person who treated me like I was something special. I lived for the time we spent at her house during the Warrior Festivals. Those were the only times in my whole wretched childhood that had meaning. But our people were just as thick headed as Father. Just as superstitous. Stupid people! Ignorant. Magic could have done so many things for them. Could have helped them more than they could possibly imagine. Tell me, sister, when was the last time an illness was cured with a sword? I could have helped Mother recover much sooner, had Father let me try. All he had to do was give me a chance."

"Mother got better without your help. She didn't need magic to save her."

"Did you save her, dear sister? Are you the reason why Mother recovered? Think. Think long and hard. Did you wish for her health to return? Were you hoping and praying? You were, weren't you? You used your own magic to help her, just like you helped Tim."

"I don't practice magic," Ileeya said indignantly.

"Then what do you call it? You have the ability to cause things to happen. It's different than my ability. I require spells, and books, and sometimes rare ingredients to make magic - but not you. All you have to do is think about it. How do you think you got that power? It's not by accident. You got it from grandmother Lainel. She was able to do that, too. You look surprised. You didn't know you inherited her powers, did you? Of course you didn't. Why would Grandmother Lainel tell you? Because she knew you wouldn't understand. Because just like her son, you were a warrior. Just like her son, you would live in fear of others finding out the truth about her. I'm sure Mother told you her version of history, but let's see how that compares to mine.

Great Grandmother Nauri often flaunted her abilities in front of others - she was fearless. The townspeople were afraid of her. But as the years passed, and she still hadn't married, she longed to have a family. She set her sights on Merillon, a man of noble character. He was very handsome, and she was sure he would produce beautiful children.

But Merillon had bigger dreams than settling down to care for a wife and children. And despite her many attempts, Nauri couldn't get him to fall in love with her. Desperate, she tricked him.

She used her powers to seduce him. She didn't have the heart to keep him captive, though, and set him free after she became pregnant. He was never the wiser, and shortly thereafter, travelled far away when his wanderlust struck again.

She had a beautiful daughter, our Grandmother, Lainel. They lived outside of the village proper, and since Nauri had settled down a little, they lived in peace. Lainel possessed a natural magic, one her mother didn't. Nauri never knew. For as powerful as she was, she never inherited that ability - the one you have, to feel things, to see things, to do things.

Nauri wanted her daughter to learn as she did, and set about training Lainel in the art of witchcraft, using books, potions, and spells.

But I'm sure you know what happened to Nauri. Eventually the townspeople overcame their fear and stormed her house. She was dragged to town and hung. Grandmother Lainel was very careful. She lived the expected life, got married, and gave birth to Father. But the desire never left her, so she still practiced it.

Father knew. And I suspect that Grandfather Arodor knew as well. But he kept the secret. I loved visiting Grandmother Lainel. I loved when she would let me peek in her secret study, full of wonderful books and tools used to practice her craft.

I was fascinated by it all. I couldn't get enough. So while you were in her yard, practing your fencing, I was with Granny, learning the Arcane ways. It was the best time of my life.

But, as with all good things, it came to an end. Do you know how the villagers found out about her powers? How they knew she was a witch? We were in the woods, gathering herbs and berries, when the boy cried out. We rushed toward the lake, then we saw him. A young boy, no older than nine years of age, drowning! Without wasting a second, grandmother ran to the shore. But the boy was too far out. He couldn't be reached - no branch was long enough.

"Get help! Quickly!" She yelled to me. I ran as fast as my legs would go. With every pounding footstep, I could feel my terror growing. Would he be saved in time? I grabbed the first villager I found. "A boy is drowning in the lake - hurry!"

Within seconds, a group of villagers were stampeding ahead of me to the lake. I was right behind them. But you know what we found when we got there?

We found Granny, using her powers to pull the boy to safety. The villagers stopped dead in their tracks as they watched. Up and out she pulled him, till he was safely on the shore, coughing up water.

His mother rushed to pick him up, smoothing his hair and hugging him tightly, while the awe the villagers had felt just a moment before turned into fear. Absolute fear, that a witch lived among them.

They dragged her, kicking and screaming, to the town center, where she was hung for the crime of saving the boy's life. She sacrificed her own life to save his. She should've been treated as a hero, but instead she was treated with disdain, with untrust, with fear.

And all I could do was watch helplessly, protesting that she had saved the boy and should be spared.

But one of the villagers turned to me. "You should not say such things, girl, or people will think you're a witch, too!"

A moment later, the box was kicked out from beneath Granny's feet...and her neck snapped with the force of the fall. She was dead. The people cheered. I saw the whole thing.

After that I began to realize how backward our society was. They persecuted heroes. They shunned those with powers they didn't understand. I decided I would practice as much as possible, to use the knowledge that Granny gave me. I would never let the memories of what she taught me go to waste.

Father hated that. That's why he kept trying to get me to be like everyone else. To be like you. The golden child of the family. The one who did everything right, the apple of his eye. I didn't want to be like you. I wanted to be myself. I didn't want the memory of Granny go forgotten, like everyone in the village, including her own son, chose to do."

Silence filled the large room for several moments after that. No one dared speak, and soon enough Shirra started talking again. "When Mother became ill, I was worried, too. Just as worried as you and Father, I just showed it in a different way. I loved my mother, despite the fact that I often seemed like an afterthought to her.

But I was grieving along side you all. I didn't know if I could help her, but I wanted to try. I had to try. Not just for her, but for me, as well. Maybe, if Father saw me use my magic for something good, he wouldn't hate me so much. Even though that's exactly what Granny did and she was persecuted.

But I had to take the chance. Just like Granny with the village boy, I couldn't just stand by and watch Mother deteriorate into a slow agonzing death. I had to help.

But Father refused. You know - you were there and saw the whole thing. Would it have killed you, sister, to stick up for me? To put your neck on the line for someone other than yourself? You did nothing. NOTHING!! But stand there and watch while Father banished me from our home. His own daughter, who was barely sixteen! Do you have any idea what happened to me after that? Did you even care? Did you try to find me, to help me? NO!!

You stood by Father's side as I walked down the path from our house into the woods, with tears blinding my vision so much I could barely see in front of me. I hated you then. For turning your back on me just like the rest of our family!

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 28

2009-03-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Shirra hopped out of bed excitedly. They were spending the week at Grandmother Lainel's while their village celebrated their annual Warrior's Festival. Ileeya always complained of not being able to attend; their parents said they weren't old enough. But Shirra was happy she didn't have to go. She loved spending time with Granny, because unlike most of the other members of their small village, Granny didn't like to fight. She had no interest in swords.

"Will you please show it to me, Grandma?"

"No, child. You are still too young."

"Please? I promise not to tell Father. I just want to see what it looks like."

"Alright, I'll let you take a little peak, but that's all. Then we must return to your chores."

"You must always be careful how you practice your craft. Never use it to harm. Always to protect."

"I've been waiting for you."

Shirra marched to her study in a huff. It was time to raze the prison and all of its inhabitants. It was time for war. Except for that bitch. She would be brought here, where Shirra could deal with her directly. She would bring Jondak, too, to keep Tim out of the way, should he pose a threat. Shirra doubted it, though. She knew Tim was hurt pretty badly, and safely locked away. But she had underestimated the human before, and she would not make that mistake again.

She had not planned it to be this way. She wanted to take over during the Grand Tournament, but that was still months away. Damn Tim! Tim and Ileeya both! They had ruined her plans! No matter, she would just have to improvise. The Kahlari thought they were skilled warriors and prided themselves on that, but they were all weaklings.

None of them could withstand what she could throw at them, and their mind skills were weak. Many centuries ago, their mental powers had been strong, but as their skill at fighting grew, their ability to use their minds effectively had diminished. Most of them couldn't do much of anything anymore. Only a few were capable of more, but not much. She had no fear of them, the one she had to worry about the most was her sister. Shirra didn't know what all Ileeya was capable of, but she knew she would be a problem, and Jondak probably wouldn't be able to handle her on his own.

She told Jondak to hurt Ileeya, which would weaken her, then she would bring her here. Perhaps she would allow Jondak to kill Tim in front of Ileeya, that would strike a powerful blow and make it difficult for her to concentrate. Then, with her weakened, Shirra could finish her. There was no way she would allow Jondak to have Ileeya. In fact, the way she felt right now, she might just kill them all, then be free to rule the planes alone. She didn't need a king. Her child would grow up fatherless. He would be taught that his father had been unworthy.

~*~*~*~*

Ileeya returned to her cell. She took a deep breath, and assumed a crosslegged position on the floor. She willed her body and mind to relax, purging all thoughts from her head. Then she pulled up a picture of Tim's face in her mind. She studied it and called out to it, hoping she would get a clue to his whereabouts.

She scoured the villages around the prison, but turned up nothing. Then she reached farther, across the small world, looking for a trace of him. Having no luck with that, she opened her mind to see farther. Her breathing slowed, her eyes rolled back in her head as she slipped deep into a trance.

Soon she was floating through space, calling for him. She searched the neighboring planet, turning it over in her mind and looking in every crevice, every hole.

Where are you, Tim?

~*~*~*~*

Tim awoke. Or at least he thought he did. His brain felt like liquid, like it would ooze out of his ears at any minute. He shivered in the coldness of the room. He struggled to open his eyes. It was so hard, his eyelids were heavy, and it felt good to close them. The more he woke up, the more his head throbbed.

He was afraid to touch the back of his head - afraid of what he'd find. The pain was nearly unbearable, and threatend to pull him into unconsciousness, where he would probably die. He fought it, fought the heaviness that threatened to pull him under. With great effort, he managed to open one eye. He could see nothing. The room was pitch black. A searing pain shot through the back of his head. The wound felt cold and wet, and he could feel that the blood had pooled beneath his head, soaking into his hair and the back of his neck.

He desperately wanted to close his eye and float away, where he had been comfortable, instead of feeling this pounding ache that pulsed with every heartbeat. He wondered how much blood he lost. Too much?

Where are you, Tim?

Ileeya! Her voice floated through his head like a cloud, and lifted some of the heaviness away. ...Ileeya is safe, but not for long...She's still at the prison, searching for you Tim's other eye snapped open.

Ileeya, I am here!

~*~*~*~*

Finally! She found him, after hours of searching. She found Shirra's castle. It was beyond far. It was past this world, and all the worlds after that. It was deep in the far reaches of space, on the edge of the plane. Actually, where her castle sat, was a cross section of sorts, where the planes overlapped. An area that most creatures dared not tread because of its danger. Those that had the ability to travel from one plane to the next, avoided this spot. Her sister was obviously confident enough to place her dwelling there.

Ileeya, I am here!

She sensed Tim locked away in a small dark room. He was badly hurt. He needed her. Her heart ached at the sight of him. She had to help him! She was already tired, did she have the strength to go to him? She had no choice. He would die without her help.

Hang on...I'll be there soon!

Her mind being so busy, she didn't hear the scream outside her door. And a moment later, she was unaware of Jondak appearing right in front of her, leering down at her...

She was dimly aware of being pulled up off the floor by rough hands. She willed herself to snap back to present. Jondak! What was he doing here! How did he get in here! He was saying something, but her muddled thoughts couldn't comprehend. Her brain had been in such deep concentration, that it took several seconds to recover.

Her brain was brought crashing back to the cell. It felt like she had been dropped from the ceiling onto the hard floor, such was the impact that jarred her bones. Her head spun as her brain tried to compensate for the sudden shift. Tim! She had lost him!

By the time she could focus, Jondak had already pushed her up against the wall, pinning her there with his body. She struggled, but he was a lot stronger than he looked. Irnaxxians were known for their strength.

He was breathing on her neck. He pushed her head to the side and whispered into her ear, his hot breath burning. "Finally. You don't know how long I have been waiting. How long I have been wanting. And at long last, you are mine."

Her skin crawled as a panic began to well up inside her. This was just like her nightmare!

"If you cooperate, I promise not to hurt you," he said as he jerked her head to face him.

He kissed her, covering her mouth with his fiercely. She struggled uselessly against him.

Suddenly from out in the hallway beyond the door, there was screaming and pounding footsteps. She heard Gylen's battle cry somwhere down the hall. What the heck was happening? Then she heard a key in the door.

Jondak jerked around upon hearing it, and Ileeya took advantage of the distraction.

She closed her eyes and sent a wave of force at Jondak. He flew across the room and slammed into the wall, sliding down it.

The cell door opened, Kiara stood in the doorway. Behind her, the body of Aark could clearly be seen. He was dead. Another figure ran past the open door, too quickly for Ileeya to make out who it was. "What's happening?" she yelled at Kiara.

"The Jal'em have declared war! The king has freed us so we could fight. Quickly! To the weapons room!"

Kiara dashed down the hall, in the direction of the prison double doors that led to the tournament arena, where a room with all the real weapons were stored. Ileeya stepped out into the hall, over Aark's body.

She knew she couldn't help these people. She was torn. She hoped Kiara would fare well. She ran the other way, toward the king's private chambers. She hoped it would be quiet and she could concentrate long enough to take herself to Tim's aid. She had to stop her sister - she was behind all of this.

She stepped over another dead body on her way. This one was Sulen, a prisoner. He still had his sword in his hand - he died defending this wretched prison. It was ironic, the prisoners and guards now banded together against outside forces. Sudden allies.

She dared to look out the window once she reached the king's quarters. She wished she hadn't. The sky was red, and the clouds boiled overhead. Just like how Tim described Shirra's overtaking at the tournament would be.

The large courtyard, where they had been relaxing just a short time ago, was littered with bodies, slaves, Kahlari guards, and Jal'em alike.

Slaves and guards were fighting side by side.

She watched in horror as the King's personal advisor crumpled to the ground, the Jal'em grinning up above him.

A few feet beyond him, the head priest also lie dead, a growing pool of blood forming beneath him.

She turned her back on the window, and, sitting crosslegged on the floor, attempted to tune out the frenzied battle outside.

~*~*~*~*

The little bitch! How dare she? His back was a little stiff where he had slammed into the wall, but he was otherwise fine. The battle outside didn't phase him one bit. He knew Shirra was planning it. His only concern was to find Ileeya and finish his job.

~*~*~*~*

Shirra concentrated. By now things were well under way. Battle was ensuing, and soon the Kahlari would be wiped out. The Jal'em had always been a bloodthirsty lot, fierce and proud; it had not been too difficult to persuade them that they had been cheated in the last tournament. Jondak had sufficient time to weaken Ileeya, and it was time to bring her here.

She sat and chanted, looking for Ileeya. But she couldn't find her. Shirra frowned and searched the prison again. Ileeya wasn't anywhere! She knew Jondak hadn't killed her, because she would have still been able to locate her presence. Shirra suddenly snapped out of her trance. Ileeya was here! Her presence was strong, and she had found her way here. Damnit! That meant that her powers were much stronger than Shirra thought.

"Jondak, appear!" Shirra didn't even wait until the purple cloud dissipated before slamming Jondak against the wall.

"What the hell have you been doing, Jondak? Why weren't you following orders?"

"Ileeya managed to get away."

~*~*~*~*

Tim could barely contain his relief when Ileeya suddenly showed up in the cell. Without saying a word, she placed her hands on his shoulders. She closed her eyes tight, and within seconds, he felt a tingling sensation on the wound site. It was a comforting feeling, like soaking in a hot tub at the end of a long hard day. The tingling spread over the entire wound, which was quite large, covering most of the back of his head. No wonder it had hurt so much.

He relaxed under the sensation, allowing it to flow over him and repair the damage Shirra had done. Ileeya pulled her trembling hands away, tears in her eyes, and gazed at Tim, as if she was afraid the healing wouldn't work. Tim blinked at her and smiled, not sure what to say. He gave her a tight hug - he was so happy she was okay and she had found him!

He guided her face to his for a tender kiss, the feel of her lips sublime in the dire circumstances. He didn't think he would ever have the chance to kiss those lips again.

~*~*~*~*

Pathetic excuse for an Irnaxxian! She backhanded him as hard as she could. Jondak stood there, looking down at his feet. Weakling! If his people ever got wind of him failing a mission like this, they would have him drawn and quartered on the spot. But she had no time to punish him right now. Ileeya was already in Tim's cell, healing the wound in his head. Worthless piece of garbage! She would allow him to kill Tim, then she would send him to the outer rings of hell and make him live his nightmare for eternity.

She teleported them both to the cell door and opened it. She thought she would throw up at the sight she was seeing. Her sister, standing in front of Tim, giving him a tender kiss.

Rage and jealousy sparked anew. It was one thing to know her sister was in love with Tim, but quite another entirely to see it in action. The sight appalled her. It was time to end this.

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 27

2009-02-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Shirra lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She had been crying for hours, and the sadness was starting to ebb. In its place was anger. An anger that started deep within her. An anger that she could feel in every fiber of her being, every cell, every pore.

An anger so consuming that it literally ate the sadness away, repairing the hollow ache in her heart. She lied in its pool, festering, and let it slowly devour her, eating away at her other emotions until it was the only one left.

~*~*~*~*

Tim awoke on a hard stone floor. His head throbbed, and every muscle protested when he tried to move. The back of his head was wet and sticky, and he realized he was bleeding. The room was dark and he didn't know where he was. He knew that he wasn't in the prison, and surmised he must be somewhere in Shirra's dwelling.

If you fail, then she will, too.
He had failed. Ileeya was hurt, and it was all his fault. He cried, feeling remorseful. There was no hope, now. Everything that had happened this past year and a half, everything that led up to this moment was all for naught. The people of this world would be destroyed, save for a few loyal ones. Those loyal would become Shirra's new world and would serve their queen. Shirra would give birth to a son - his son, who would learn how to rule from her, how to be just as ruthless and unforgiving. Jondak would claim Ileeya, and she would wish for death to come quickly, for Jondak was just as ruthless as Shirra.

Finally, the damn burst and the flood came. Tim sobbed uncontrollably. He cried for what seemed like an eternity, remembering every look Ileeya had given to him, what her touch felt like, the sound of her voice...
Go straight to hell, Timothy Mitchell.
And that's exactly where he was.

The ache in his head magnified. His body felt heavy, and he could feel his mind drifting away. A comforting darkness washed over him as he closed his eyes, and his limbs suddenly felt lighter, like they were resting on a cloud or like he was being carried. He let the feeling sweep over him and gave in to it.

~*~*~*~*

Ileeya knew where Tim was upon returning to the empty cell. She knew he was at Shirra's. But she had no clue where that was. For hours, she had tried searching for him, but to no avail. She sensed danger, so palpable it threatened to overwhelm her. She had to find it, she had to find Shirra's home. Tim needed her...

~*~*~*~*

Jondak was walking on air. He couldn't believe his good fortune. He was almost sorry Shirra was in pain, she looked like a frightened child, sobbing in her hands. And he may have felt sorry for her, if she had not been so harsh with him. If she had not denied his needs for so long. If it weren't for her, Tim would have been taken care of shortly after arriving, and Ileeya would already be his.

But now, Ileeya was his. Tim was likely to never come back to the cell again, would be lucky, actually, if he would even live much longer, and Jondak had been given permission to have his way with Ileeya, finally. Not just been given permission, but instructed to hurt her.

He had refrained in the past, because he didn't want to cause a commotion in the prison. It's not that he cared, really, if the guards punished him, but the confinement cells were the worst, and he'd rather not go there.

He didn't really want to hurt Ileeya, at least, not directly for the purpose of hurting someone. At first he wanted to love her. He was capable of love. He was mezmerized by her when he first came here.

He had never seen such beauty, such perfection. None of the women from his village measured up to even a fraction of the loveliness Ileeya possessed.

And he was confident in his ability to woo her, as he was quite adept at persuading young ladies to sleep with him. He had never been turned down, not once. Until Ileeya. She had turned him down repeatedly, but still he did not want to hurt her. He simply tried harder.

That day, long ago, when she had pushed him down, sparked his anger, and the vision he gave her was a manifestation of that anger. He did it as a warning, hoping if he scared her, she would come around. But he was wrong, and his wanting grew.

Looking back, he suspected that the anger grew because he wanted something he couldn't have. And the more he tried to get it, the more it ran away. He finally had to face up to the fact that he was not worthy of her love, and to him, that was not an option. He would succeed. No matter what.

Then Tim arrived. And Shirra followed closely behind. Everything changed. Now he had no choice but to work for her. Normally, he hated that, except for today. Shirra had just given him the message to ready himself for teleportation. He was to be transported to Ileeya's cell, now that she was alone, where he was instructed to do whatever he wanted.

~*~*~*~*

"Gertie. It's my time, isn't it?"

"It can be, if you want it to."

"I failed. Shirra has won. She has Ileeya..."

"Tim, Ileeya is safe, but not for long."

Tim's head snapped up in disbelief.

"She's still at the prison, searching for you."

"But..."

"The girl Shirra hurt was not Ileeya. She was captured by Shirra's servants and brought to her, where Shirra then cast an illusion on her. The real Ileeya is safe, and her mind is reaching for you."

"I must go back!"

"You are very hurt, Tim. Your head is bleeding. I don't know if you'll be able to wake up. But you must try. Shirra has not won, yet. But she will soon unless someone fights."

"Send me back, Gertie!"

Gertie looked at him sadly. "I can't, Tim. I don't have that power. You must be on your own from this point on. I can no longer help you."

"Gertie, please..."

Gertie smiled at him. "You're a big boy, Timmy. You can do this. You are ready, even though you don't think you are. You must wake, now. Despite the pain. We'll meet again someday..."

~*~*~*~*

"Mother, why is magic so bad? Why is it so wrong?"

"Our people are very superstitious. They are afraid of things they don't understand; things they can't control."

"But Shirra was in control of what she did."

"Any witch would want you to believe that, and would want to believe that herself. But how much control does one really have over that kind of power? A power to hurt? A power that can change things? It is an awesome power, and no one being can completely harness it, no matter how strong or confident he is. Magic is dangerous, and therefore shunned. As a warrior people, we don't have need for it, and we'll go to great lengths to rid our village of it."

"Do you really believe Shirra made you sick?"

Her mother looked at her for a moment before answering. "I don't know what I believe. Shirra has been changing for a long time, and has allowed herself to be fooled by the promise of power that magic brings. That power corrupts, and she was becoming corrupt herself. I can't say for certain that she had a hand in what happened, but I can't rule it out, either."

"What do you think will become of Shirra?"

She siged and turned away. "I don't know. Your father was torn. He sent her away because he loved her, he couldn't bear to see her persecuted for her practice of magic. But as he loved her, he also hated her for what she was becoming. Corrupt. I don't even know if your father truly believed that she was the cause of my illness, but it gave him enough of a fright that he wanted to put a stop to her practice. Sit down. I want to tell you a story.

Your great grandmother, Nauri, was a witch. A quite powerful one.

She was never afraid to display her talent openly, often frightening the other townspeople.

She selected your great grandfather, Merillon, to father her child - your grandmother. Merillon was a traveling merchant. He never stayed in one place for long, and soon the time came for him to move on, never even realizing that he had been used to impregnate a witch. I'm sure he had heard the rumors about Nauri, but with her powers she seduced him, then made him forget.

Your grandmother Lainel was born. She was a beauty that took heavily after her father. Sun kissed skin, deep violet eyes.

"When the child grew into a beautiful young girl, she began to notice things about herself. Things that weren't quite normal.

She was able to change the course of the wind just by concentrating on it. She could cause butterflies to land on her arm. Lainel was a good child, pure of heart, and didn't possess the same chaotic streak that was present in her mother.

"Her mother had settled down by now, not practicing as openly, and was at peace with herself. She taught your grandmother about her 'ways', her magic, and was creating her own little witch.

But she cautioned her daughter, she warned her of the dangers she would face should others find out. She made her promise to be careful, and only practice in secret. Your grandmother agreed.

"When Lainel was barely a teen, her mother was killed. The villagers hung her for her witchery. They did not know your grandmother was also a fledgeling witch, and she was careful not to let them know.

Life was difficult for Lainel, having to live on her own since her early teens. She missed her mother terribly.

Years passed, and your grandmother's wounds healed. She met a nice man, your grandfather Arodor, and settled into a domestic life with him.

They gave birth to a son - your father, and they were very happy.

But, villagers will be villagers, and people began to wonder why your grandmother didn't attend the warrior festival. When your father was young, they had no one to look after him so she could attend. But once he came of age, she was always conveniently sick during the festivals. Rumors spread, and people began to look at her differently. They suspected her of witchery, having known about her mother's romance with it.

"Your father tried very hard to look the other way when the townspeople would talk about his mother, sometimes to his face, sometimes behind his back.

But deep down, he knew, though he tried to deny it. He saw things, things she didn't know he saw.

Like a pot on the stovetop that stirred itself, or a garden that flourished despite harsh weather.

He told me how he returned home early one day and saw the kitchen cleaning itself while his mother was reading an odd looking book. An evil looking book, to hear him tell it."

"But not all magic is bad, right? Grandmother wasn't corrupt, she didn't use it for bad things, did she?"

"Not directly. Not like her own mother. But use of magic, itself, is evil, whether you use it to stir your pots for you, or kill someone. It weakens the constitution, makes one become soft. If you spend hours studying magic, how will you have the strength to lift a sword?"

"But couldn't a magician just swing the sword with their magic? Or fight some other way?"

"That would not be the way of the warrior. Magicians are cowards. They hide behind their magic because they lack the strength and spirit to fight like a warrior."

"If father knew that grandma was a witch, why did he let us spend time with her during the festivals?"

"Your father loved his mother very much. She begged him to let her see her grandchildren. He refused many times, but her sad eyes ate away at his soul, and he eventually gave in. But after he found out about Shirra's interest in magic, he regretted it. He blamed himself. That's why you were no longer able to visit granny, and why father forbade Shirra to practice magic.

Now, it is late. I do believe your father wants to squeeze a couple of hours of practice in before heading to town in the morning. He told me that handsome lad, Malir, asked after you again."

At the mention of Malir's name, Ileeya's heart flipped in her chest. He had asked after her! It was only recently she had started to notice him as more than a childhood friend.

She couldn't get his light green eyes out of her head, and the way his golden hair fell over his beautiful face. Without further comment, she rushed to bed, where the conversation with her mother about magic, witches, and persecution fled from her memory and was replaced by the image of Malir's golden skinned hands caressing her own.

Ileeya woke suddenly to the sound of the cell door shutting. She had fallen asleep searching for Tim. She got up and stretched her cramped muscles, then took a long drink of water. She had no interest in the dried meat that had just been placed inside.

She knocked on the cell door. Aark nodded silently, and escorted her to the King's conference room.

She paced the room, waiting for the king and his advisors to arrive. She was nearly sick to her stomach with fear, as it seemed like things were unravelling at a startlingly quick pace. She would not allow her sister to win this.

She must not! Shirra had already taken too many things from her, she would not allow her to take Tim as well. When she was done warning the king that he must ready for a fight, she would go back to her cell and try finding Tim again. She had to find him.

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 26

2009-02-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

When he awoke, Ileeya was gone. He surmised that Aark had retrieved her for the workday. Tim couldn't decide if he would rather work in the fields where he could forget his problems, or if he was better off left behind to ponder this complicated situation.

And a complicated situation it was, indeed. He had no clue what would happen next, what to do or how to proceed. He tried to block it out of his mind, his brain still fatigued from all the stress of just thinking about it. But he was unsuccessful. Even after a fairly sound rest, and looking upon the situation with new eyes, he was still unable to process and digest everything.

And while Tim was deep in thought, a familiar purple light formed in the center of the room, and Shirra in the middle of it. He was caught completely off guard - she was getting bold, to collect him in the middle of the day. How did she even know that he would be in the cell, and not working in the field?

She smiled at him, kind of a cat that caught the canary type of grin, not a 'I'm so happy to visit you again' smile. That threw Tim off even more.

"Hello, my pet. You look surprised to see me."

Tim couldn't answer, his throat seemed as dry as a bone that had been lying out in the hot desert sun for several years. She walked over to him.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" she said with a slight pout to her lips.

Tim forced himself to smile at her. He forced himself to push all of his nightmares out of his head and concentrate on getting through each minute without giving himself away.

"How did you know I'd be here, in the cell?" he finally found his voice.

"I have my ways," she said with a devilish grin. She walked in a slow circle around him, looking him up and down. Tim's stomach clenched, wondering what she was thinking.

She stopped in front of him, and caressed his face. He nearly flinched at her touch, but gently touched her hand, instead. She seemed to be studying him, watching him closely, like she was waiting for something, like she was waiting to see if he would slip. Make her think you're bending to her will, do what it takes.

He had to play along, for Ileeya's sake, for his own sake, for this world's sake. The enormity of it all threatened to overpower him again, and he forcefully pushed it aside. One minute at a time, he would get through this.

"How would you like to come back to my place for awhile? I have a present for you."

Oh great. Sex and world domination - is that all this woman ever thinks about?
"I would like nothing less, my sweet."

Without taking her eyes of his, she waved her hand in the air and uttered a quiet command, gesturing behind him. Tim knew she had just cast another illusion of himself sleeping in the bed. A moment later, he felt weightless, as he was transported back to Shirra's room.

Upon arriving, Shirra stood, arms folded just looking at him. He felt like his entire soul was on display to her searching eyes.

"Is something wrong, my love?" Tim forced his voice to not quake.

"I told you I had a gift for you. But first, a question."

Tim swallowed hard.

"How do you feel about being my husband? About ruling the lands with me, and raising a strong son to take our place after our rule ends? How do you feel about a lavish wedding, an event that all loyal subjects will remember so vividly, and be so proud of, that they'll tell stories of it to their children and grandchildren, recalling the moment when I took a king?"

Oh fuck.

"Words cannot express my happiness. Your dream is my dream, my queen, and I wouldn't want any less than you want."

She smiled at him again. "You have no idea how much that pleases me. There was a moment or two when I questioned your loyalty - it pleases me to know you are with me. And now, your gift."

She snapped her fingers, and instantly, they were standing in the small chamber just off her bedroom. The chamber was empty, except for Ileeya, magically held against the wall. She wore a frightened expression, her eyes pleading.

"Help...help me," she sobbed.

It was like Tim crashed into a brick wall after flying at the speed of light - such was the force of the jolt that shook his body. He fought the panic that threatened to take control and tried to think clearly.

...do what it takes and when the time is right...

What should he do?

He didn't even have time to think about it, because Jondak suddenly appeared in the doorway. He walked over to Ileeya and smiled up at her. She returned his look with one of fear. Starting at her ankle, Jondak ran a finger up the inside of her leg.

She struggled, crying. "Please...don't..."

You need to protect her...

Tim was genuinely afraid, now. He knew he couldn't take on both Shirra and Jondak. But he couldn't just stand there doing nothing. Shirra turned to him. "Does this please you, dearest?"

He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be implanted with a sense of neutrality regarding Ileeya, a sense of apathy.

He spoke slowly, forcing his words to stay calm, despite the terror he felt. If he played along correctly, perhaps Ileeya would be sent back to her cell without harm. "It makes no difference. I don't even know who she is."

Shirra looked at him carefully. "You don't know her?"

"No - I share a cell with her, but I have barely spoken to her. I can't even recall her name. I think it's Illia or something." I'm Ileeya, you asshole!

Shirra smiled at him. But it was still another one of those odd smiles that she had given him in the cell - almost like she didn't believe him. She looked over at Jondak, who was standing next to Ileeya, waiting expectantly.

Ileeya struggled futilely against the invisible bonds. Her eyes found Tim's again. "Please don't let them hurt me."

Jondak then grabbed her jaw roughly, holding it tight. He kissed her, while she struggled to no avail.

...do what it takes and when the time is right, you can strike
How did he know when the time was right? Was it right, now? Would they go any further with this scheme, or would Shirra be satisfied and free her?

If Tim had to say what the hardest thing he ever had to do in his entire life, it would be what he did next. Despite every muscle threatening to disobey his brain's orders, wanting to act of their own accord on a primal male level and try to save the damsel in distress, he grabbed Shirra roughly and pulled her into an embrace. He looked into her eyes. "I want you."

Shirra smiled, but this time it was a genuine smile. One that said he had passed the test. She snapped her fingers and Tim heard the dull thud of Ileeya falling to the floor, whimpering. Shirra covered his mouth with hers, and kissed him passionately.

"Do you really want me?" she asked in a throaty whisper.

"Yes. Now. Please."

"Ooh. Now I've made you beg. I suppose I shall have to submit myself to you, now."

She kissed him again, more fervently than she had just a moment before.
Behind him, Ileeya screamed.

Tim couldn't deny himself any longer. He shoved Shirra roughly to the side and gazed upon a site that made his blood run cold. Jondak was atop Ileeya while she squirmed and begged for him to stop.

Without a second's hesitation, Tim threw himself at Jondak, slamming him into the wall. He wrapped his left hand in Jondak's tunic and jerked the pointy eared bastard up on his feet. He punched without even deciding on a direction. He was in a frenzy, ramming his fists into the Irnaxxian repeatedly.

Tim delivered a punch for everytime Jondak had given him that self satisfied sneer, for everytime he had touched Ileeya, for everytime he had made him feel fear or hate. His blood boiled to the surface, he fed on it, used it to punch harder, faster.

Jondak, unprepared for the viciousness of the attack, did little in defense and couldn't even seem to manage to block the quick blows. He sagged against the wall as Tim continued his assault, completely unaware that his opponent was out cold.

"ENOUGH!!" Shirra screamed from behind him. The noise nearly burst his eardrums, it reverberated around the room and echoed loudly in his head. Instinctively, he covered his ears to drown out the sound. Jondak, no longer pinned to the wall, fell to the floor unconscious.

Suddenly, Tim was immobilized again. Shirra, furious, glared up at him. He choked down the bile that rose in his throat. This was surely the end.

"You lied to me. I wanted so badly to believe you, I wanted so badly for you to be my king, I wanted so badly to believe you loved me...but it was all just lies. How long have you been lying to me, Tim? HOW LONG!?" She raised her hand at him abruptly, and Tim's head flew into the wall behind him hard enough to blur his vision for just a moment.
Ileeya is certainly lost, now.

"All that time," she continued, "sharing my deepest secrets with you, my hopes and dreams, and all that time you were lying to me. How dare you!!" She caused his head to hit the wall again. This time Tim felt a trickle of blood run down his scalp through his hair. Below him, Jondak was starting to stir. Ileeya was huddled in a ball, crying softly to herself, oblivious of what was now transpiring.

Ileeya! He had failed her. She won't be able to defend herself without your help.

"You will pay for this dearly, Tim, that much I promise you. I will not kill you right away - you will suffer long and hard for what you've done. YOU WILL BOTH SUFFER!!" She knocked his head against the wall again.

Now he felt weary, like he couldn't stay awake. Jondak, sat up and shook his head back and forth, as if trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain.

Tim's vision dimmed, and he was vaguely aware of Jondak, now fully conscious and on his feet, walking over to Ileeya. His eyes closed for a moment, and when he opened them again, he saw Jondak gently stroke her cheek. She whimpered.
They'll gang up on her and Jondak will have her at long last.

"NOOOO!" he screamed, just before his head hit the wall one final time and the world went black.

***

With a snap of her fingers, Shirra removed the magical bonds and let Tim's unconscious body fall to the floor. The girl on the floor still whimpered, but Jondak was no longer hovering over her. He was instead, beside his master, as they both surveyed the two bodies in front of them.

The girl's black hair returned, along with her normal clothing - Shirra's illusion was cancelled. Tired of hearing the weakling mewling like a newborn kitten, Shirra cast a teleportation spell to send the girl back to where she came from. Let them deal with her.

For a long moment, Shirra did nothing, simply stood gazing down at Tim, the blood forming a small pool beneath his head. Jondak knew better than to say a word. He waited, shifting from one foot to the other, while the minutes ticked slowly past.
"It's such a shame..." Shirra said quietly.

"It's like Malir all over again... why? WHY!? What did I ever do to deserve such anguish! Such disdain!"

Jondak held his breath, afraid that even the minute noise of his breathing would send Shirra into more of a rage. He had never seen her so angry. And then, unexpectedly, Shirra put her face in her hands and cried. Her body shook with her sobs, and for several minutes, Jondak could do nothing but stare at her with surprise.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when she whirled to face him, terrified that he would be sent to his nightmare again. But instead, he got a surprise.

"I want you to hurt her. Have your way with her and make her suffer. But do not kill her. That's my job."

The purple mists surrounded him and he soon found himself back in his cell. And he couldn't be happier.

Between the Light and the Darkness Chapter 25

2009-01-31T06:26:00.000-08:00

Shirra lied in bed and stared up at her vast ceiling. It was night, and the flickering light of the torches illuminated their surroundings in an orange glow. She should have been asleep hours ago, but something about her conversation with Tim nagged at her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something just didn't seem quite right.

For perhaps the thousandth time, she replayed the entire conversation she had with him right before the implantation. It hadn't bothered her at the time because she was so enamored of Tim. She had simply dismissed it.

Actually, she smiled to herself, once Tim struck her, all she could think of was her intense lust for him. It was only now, hours later, long after the throes of passion had ebbed, that the thought entered her mind. And once it entered, she started dwelling on it. And the more she dwelled on it, the more it nagged at her. Thus began a long night of discomfort.

She didn't want to believe that Tim was deceiving her. In fact, she found it difficult to believe that her spell had failed. She knew it had succeeded. She was there, she saw it first hand. So, if the spell had succeeded, then how would it be possible for Tim to not be under such spell now? Had he fought it? Or had it only been temporary because he was a human?

Weary, she ran through the conversation once more, trying to figure out just what it was that bothered her about it. And then she got it. It wasn't just what he said, but a combination of his comments and facial expressions that triggered the nagging sensation that now plagued her. She had been discussing their wedding plans, quite animatedly, and when she was done, there was no happiness on his face. No excitement. What had she seen instead?

She closed her eyes and took herself back to that moment. Yes, now she could see it. His dark eyebrows held a delicate furrow, and his perfect mouth had turned down in a slight frown.

"What of...Ileeya...and Jondak?" He had asked. She was irritated about that. Who cared what happened to those two losers? She was talking about taking over the world, of ruling a land full of faithful subjects devoted only to her. And the only one she felt worthy of being by her side was Tim. Shouldn't he have been at least a little happier?

But the only thing he had thought of was of Ileeya and, as an afterthought, Jondak. Something just didn't seem right. This situation would warrant further investigation. But not tonight. It was late and she was tired. She sighed deeply. She would be most unhappy if she had to get rid of Tim. She would live with it, the seed was planted and would grow, the child would be born. But she loved him, and hoped she would not have to do away with him. She couldn't stand it when she was deliberately deceived.

~*~*~*~*~

He took a deep breath and knocked on the cell door. He heard Aark's guttural reply and told him he needed an audience with the king right away.

There was a moment of silence, then riotous laughter erupted from behind the closed cell door. Tim banged on the door loudly.

"It's really important!" Tim yelled, "I need to see him right away."

"What's so important to disturb the king's rest?" Aark inquired in his growling voice.

"Something's going to happen at the next Grand Tournament.
An...assassination of the world leaders."

The laughter grew louder. "Very funny, Strange One, good joke. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow's a hard day."

"I'm very serious, Aark, something is going to happen and I need to warn the king!"

"Go to sleep now."

"Please. Just listen to me. Open the door so I can talk to you."

"I said no," Aark said, growing agitated, "Now sleep! No more talking!"

Tim yelled in frustration as he pounded his fists against the door. Now what? He turned around and saw Ileeya sitting on the floor cross-legged, "pretzel style" as young children called it.

She had her eyes closed, oblivious to her surroundings. He was about to ask her if she was okay, then thought better of it. She seemed to be concentrating.

A soft groaning, almost like the mewling of a kitten came from outside the door. Tim could clearly hear Aark's panicked breathing through the door's thickness. Aark sounded like he was having a nightmare. He stumbled into the door and screamed, a shrill sound that cut through Tim's head like a knife. Then all was quiet.

The door was unlocked and slowly opened. Aark stood in the doorway, his grayish face pale. Sweat beaded up on his forehead and rolled down his face. He just stood there, staring at Tim with huge, frightened eyes, swaying on his feet.

Ileeya appeared beside Tim and put her hand on his arm. "I think we'll have that audience with the king, now."

They were led down the long maze of corridors without restraint. Outside the audience hall a very animated Aark tried to explain why an emergency meeting with the king was necessary. After a lengthy discussion, the guards finally agreed to ask the king if he would consider an audience with Tim, Ileeya, and Aark. The king agreed, and several minutes later they were deep in discussion.

They told him all they knew, about what Tim had overheard: Ileeya's emerging mind powers and Jondak's involvement. The king sat in deep thought for a moment, scratching his chin.

"This is grave news. It appears, Tim, that you are indeed the one foretold of in the ancient scriptures. You are here to save us all."

Tim's throat constricted and his hands grew clammy. "What?" he managed to croak feebly.

"The ancient scriptures. Knowledge that has been passed down for centuries. The prophesies tell us of a hero who will come from another world to save us. A hero belonging to a race that none of us have never seen before. A human."

Tim felt the room spin around him. He attempted to focus on the words that were just spoken to him. Him? A hero? That was ridiculous. He was just a man. A man that didn't even belong here. He didn't even know where the heck he was, or that a world other than his own even existed.

"That can't...it can't be me...," his legs threatened to buckle underneath him and the room started to spin.

"Why not?" the king replied simply.

"Because...because," he felt himself sway to the side, overcorrected his balance and fell smack into Aark who was standing beside him.

They both fell into a tangled heap on the floor, and Tim was vaguely aware of Aark's elbow slamming into his cheek before the world ceased to exist around him.

~*~*~*~*

Shirra came to the conclusion that she would have to perform some sort of test on Tim to see if he was still under her control. But what could she do? She had pondered that until deep into the night, unable to sleep because her dilemma.

Just when a few pink streaks lit up the morning sky, she found her answer. She smiled wickedly to herself before finally falling into a deep slumber.

~*~*~*~*

"This makes no sense, Ileeya. How could I possibly be here to save the whole world? I barely even know how to fight."

"I'm just as clueless as you are. I had completely forgotten about the scriptures. It's just one of those things you hear about once or twice and shrug off because you don't think it applies to you. No one ever thinks something like this will actually happen in their lifetime. But with the knowledge we have, we know that our world is in danger. If the prophecy is true, maybe you really could be here to save us."

"But how could I possibly do that? I'm just a slave here. I don't have magic or mind powers, and there are much better fighters out there..."

"Tim, what was it that you told me Gertie said? That I brought you here?"

She's the reason you're there, Timmy. She called you there. She set up the portal. Gertie's words came back to Tim in a rush. He almost physically jerked from the force of them. Ileeya set up the portal to bring him here. He was brought here to help save the world? He shook his head, unable to wrap his brain around it. This was just too big. Something big is going to happen, Timmy, something real big.

He couldn't think about this right now. It threatened to drive him crazy. Fatigue washed over him and all he could think was how much he wanted to sleep. Sleep for hours and hours, maybe even forever. And if the only place he could get that sleep was the uncomfortable prison bed, then so be it.

Without further comment, Tim bedded down and Ileeya followed suit. She didn't seem concerned that he hadn't answered her question. She snuggled up next to him, placing her head on his arm. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, not wanting to let go. What would the future bring for the two of them? He didn't even have time to dwell on the question before sleep mercifully washed over him.

Between the Light and the Darkness Chapter 24

2009-01-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

As it turned out, he didn't have to wait very long. It was only a couple of torturous weeks before Shirra made a reappearance. Torturous because Tim had to deny his feelings for Ileeya in public. Worse than deny them, he had to act like she was nothing to him.

Jondak's advances were getting more aggressive as time wore on. He had graduated from light occasional touches to acting like they were a couple, oblivious of the fact that Ileeya wasn't reciprocating his affection.

He would sit at lunch with his arm draped over her shoulder, he would kiss her when he first sat down and again when they all got up to go back to their rooms. One day he even backed her into a wall and gave her a passionate kiss.

She had projected waves of nausea at Tim during this incident, and Tim had a hell of a time not slamming Jondak's head into the wall. The only good thing about this whole arrangement was that at least Jondak wasn't trying to rub it into Tim's face with his self satisfied smile. Tim knew he would totally have lost it then.

Shirra returned in the middle of the night and Tim experienced the now quite familiar sensation of floating as the teleportation took place. He felt the soft bed clothes suddenly underneath him. He felt her hand caress his face and forced himself to smile, bracing himself inwardly for what lie ahead.

"My lover awakes," she purred softly.

Tim opened his eyes and looked at her. He remembered how he felt when he was six years old on Christmas morning and flew down the stairs to the living room to see what Santa had brought him. His eyes lit up and he squealed with joy at the sight of his brand new bicycle, which he had wanted for what seemed like forever.

He tried to recapture that feeling, tried to draw on that experience whenever he wanted to look joyous, like he should be when seeing Shirra for the first time in weeks. Surprisingly, he managed to pull it off somewhat successfully. This was a far cry from drama class in high school. His teacher would have been proud. Shirra smiled and snuggled up next to him, reaching under the covers. She sure didn't waste any time.

~*~*~*~*

Later, as they lay together, Shirra had a rare vulnerable moment. How luxurious it would be to be a weak female, and let her man take care of her. She felt so protected when he wrapped his strong arms around her. Part of her just wanted to melt into them, to not have to think of the work that was still undone.

But, she reminded herself, although the next part of her plan would take the longest, it would also be the most rewarding. After she had control of the major provinces, she would appoint leaders among her most faithful, then she and this fabulous human could spend an entire week in bed.

As it was, most of her plans were lying in wait, with the Grand Tournament still three months away, there was not much left to do but wait while time passed. And what better way to wait then in the arms of someone she loved.

She had never been in love before, except for Malir all those years ago. Then her bitch sister had to steal him away. She wasn't about to get away with that again. This time, Shirra was the one stealing the man away, and Ileeya would suffer the heartbreak.

Shirra smiled to herself as she rolled over and propped her head up on Tim's broad chest. He was still sleeping. He was very handsome, this human. She wondered if other humans were like him as well, tall, handsome, with those funny rounded ears.

Pity that she couldn't persuade him to be with her without the charm spell. She would have loved to see what he was capable of, unhindered. However, the spell was pretty lenient, and didn't create any inhibitions that weren't already there. Tim's instincts were still intact, as were his sexual preferences and everything else about him.

Shirra smiled as she thought of Tim's sexual preferences. She loved that animal side of him. She loved the way he took charge and acted like a man. She always had trouble getting Jondak to really let loose with her, it was almost like he didn't want to be with her, although she found that hard to believe. She knew he was afraid of her, afraid of hurting her and having to suffer the consequences.

She ran her hand across Tim's smooth skin, enjoying the feel of it against her palm. His eyes fluttered then, and he looked up at her. For several minutes they just looked at each other, saying nothing. Shirra enjoyed that, too. Some men never knew when to shut up.

~*~*~*~*

Tim awoke to the feel of Shirra running her hand across his chest. He looked up at her and their eyes locked for a couple of minutes. She looked a little different, somehow. The dark, hateful look was gone from her eyes, the scowl gone from her face. She looked serene, happy. In this instance Tim found it very easy to pretend she was Ileeya. Ileeya... How he wished he were with her now, holding her in his arms. Part of his brain screamed at him to push his thoughts of Ileeya aside quickly so Shirra wouldn't know he was faking.

She cocked her head and looked at him quizzically. Oh no! You screwed up big time, boy!

Very casually she asked, "What are your hopes and dreams, Tim?"

"To serve only you," he answered too quickly.

Shirra smiled. "Other than that. What do you want out of life?"

Tim's brain breathed a giant sigh of relief. He appeared to think the question over for a moment. "There is nothing else. In the morning when I wake up, I want to be with you. When I go to sleep, I wish it was in your bed. When I dream, it's about you. I want to be where you are, go where you go, see what you see. I look forward to the day when you no longer have to send me back to the prison cell, the day when I can stay with you forever."

Shirra's face lit up like a candle. Well done, Tim. Score one for the home team. She stared deep into his eyes and Tim felt a small surge of panic. What if she saw the truth in his eyes? What if she could see...but wait a minute. If she could see into his head she would have known right away that her spell had failed.

Not necessarily! He argued with himself. She was completely wrapped up in what she was doing and didn't think there was a possibility of failure. Obviously, it had never failed before. And it actually had worked at first. He wondered if his being human, a race she had never encountered before, was different. A different psychological makeup or something.

He looked back at her while these thoughts raged through his head, praying she couldn't see the truth. If she did, they were sunk. He knew she would not hesitate to kill him.

"Oh, my pet, soon. I look forward to that, too."

Tim decided to push his luck a little. "How soon? I'm tired of waiting," he pouted.

Shirra chuckled. "After my plans are complete. When I am queen of this wretched world, I will make you my king. But only in title, because I will be in charge. You will sit by my side on a rich velvet throne, and watch me rule over my subjects."

Tim tried to feign eagerness. He hoped he pulled it off convincingly. "How do you plan on doing that, my queen?" He could tell it flattered her greatly to hear herself referred to as the queen before she actually was. He was beginning to understand the way to knowledge was simple praise. Perhaps she had not received enough of it as a child.

She told him, in very graphic detail, her plans. Tim was beyond horrified, but had to keep it hidden. Her eyes sparkled when she talked, her face lit up with joy. This bitch was crazy.

For several moments afterward, all Tim could do was simply stare at her with an incredulous look on his face. He desperately tried to digest everything he told her, in graphic enough detail he could almost see it.

Luckily, Shirra mistook his shock for happy surprise. "I can see you are excited about it too, my darling. I made a wise choice in choosing you for a mate. And to think at first I only wanted you to keep my slut sister away from you. How you please me! You will make a fine husband. We shall be married after my plans are complete. No...," she said looking at him slyly.

"We'll be married before my plans are complete. We could do it right before the Grand Tournament, then you can have a little secret. It should help you get through the last couple of weeks more easily." And then, Tim couldn't believe his ears, but she actually giggled like a schoolgirl. "How fun it will be for you to know you are wed to the most powerful woman in the world, knowing that she will come and take you away from the prison! The last few days will practically fly right by."

"What of...Ileeya...and Jondak?"

Shirra's head snapped around to look at him. "What of them?" There was a hint of annoyance to her voice, as if she hated to be interrupted while musing about her hostile takeover of the planet. Careful, Tim, don't blow it!

Tim shrugged indifferently and looked away. "No reason, just curious."

Shirra studied him a moment. "I haven't quite decided what their fate will be. Jondak wants Ileeya for his own. I would prefer to see Ileeya skewered on a tall pole planted outside my castle." Tim stiffened and dug his fingernails into his palms to keep from giving himself away. Shirra continued. "Perhaps I'll keep my promise to Jondak and let him have her. It would please me to see her suffer for the rest of her life." An evil grin settled on her face as she thought of it, in her mind's eye seeing Ileeya in a life of servitude to that scumbucket.

Without warning, Tim suddenly lashed out at her. He smacked her hard across the face and watched helplessly as she flopped backward onto the bed. She sat up and looked at him, shock registering on her features.

Oh shit! What have I done?

And then, much to Tim's surprise, Shirra's expression changed to one of lust. She looked at him hungrily as she pulled herself up to a kneeling position. Then suddenly Tim's head flew to the side as a sharp blow hit his cheekbone. Tim didn't even realize it had happened until he opened his eyes and was face down on the bed. She had backhanded him, hard, surprising him and causing him fall over sideways. Damn she hit hard!

Tim sat up and looked at her, rubbing the sting out of his cheek. If he thought she looked hungry before, that was nothing compared to what she looked like now.

Her eyes were wide, and glittered like a wolf stalking its prey . Her mouth was turned up at the corners, lips pulled back from her teeth, kind of in an open smile. Her teeth were parted and she was breathing heavily. Her expression unnerved him. She looked like she was beyond turned on.

Suddenly, he hated her. He had hated her anyway, but hearing the hateful way she spoke of Ileeya stuck in his throat like bad Chinese food. He had been horrified that he smacked her without thinking, it was almost like his hand flew of its own accord. But seeing her there before him, kneeling on the bed, waiting for the next round to begin clinched it for him.

He hit her again, and this time when she fell backward, he was atop her, ripping at her clothing, groping her roughly. He bit her neck, nearly puncturing the skin and took her fiercely.

Shirra howled and threw her head back. Her fingernails dug into his back, leaving scarlet rivulets in his flesh. Tim took out all his anger on her, while she writhed and moaned beneath him, clearly enjoying his animal side.

She flipped Tim onto his back and pulled his hands above his head. He resisted, but soon found himself unable to move. She had somehow pinned his arms down! He pulled his arms, fighting panic, as Shirra continued to thrash on top of him.

Her face was contorted, now. Pushed into a mask of rapture. Tim could swear that he saw her teeth grow a bit and protrude from her mouth. He could have sworn he saw the smooth skin of her face wither before his eyes. He could have sworn he saw her eyes blacken and flash red, he could have sworn she looked just the demon from his dreams. Frantically, he fought his invisible bonds, which pinned his legs in place, as well.

Tim was agony. Every muscle screamed at him, begged for release. They were pulled so tight it felt like they would soon rip to shreds. And at the same time, he felt as if he were being crushed, like an enormous weight was sitting on his chest, suffocating him. He tried to gulp air in large gasps, but only managed to bring a tiny bit into his aching lungs. His heart hammered in its place, beating wildly against his chest. He was aware of every piece of himself; from his tortured muscles, to his drowning lungs. Even his organs hurt, throbbing, pulsing. His whole body, inside and out, was on fire. His vision dimmed and his head spun, and every time he got a glimpse of Shirra, she looked more demonic than the moment before, grinning down at him with her sharpened fangs, smiling in ecstacy.

A moment later, Shirra's screams echoed loudly through the chamber. Tim was right behind her, his screams even louder than hers, as his suffering came to an agonizing crescendo.

At long last he felt relieved, the horrible pressure was finally gone. Shirra collapsed in an exhausted heap on top of him, panting for several minutes. She played with his hair lovingly as she caught her breath.

Tim realized his hands and feet were no longer bound, and he was finally able to move them. His limbs felt stiff and achy, as if he were coming down with the flu. He forced himself to put his hands on her and stroke her back, she would be suspicious if he didn't reciprocate her affection. They lay like that for several minutes before Shirra broke the silence.

"There. It is done."

Tim furrowed his brow. "What is done?"

"Your seed. It has been implanted in me."

"My...seed?" It felt as if something had closed its hands around Tim's throat. He had to struggle to draw a breath.

"Why yes," she said chuckling. "How else am I to bear your child?"

Tim fought to keep the room, which had suddenly started to spin around him, in focus. "...child?" he mumbled feebly.

"I am to bear your child, Tim. And he shall be trained to be a prince."

"But...how could that even work? I mean, I'm a human...you've never even seen one before. How could we...?"

"Magic is a wonderful thing," she answered plainly. "To insure proper implantation, I used my magic to greatly multiply your seed. I shall birth your child in eleven months, two weeks, and three days."

"How...how long have you been planning this?" Tim asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"For months. Since I realized I'm in love with you. Now. It's time to go back. As much as I love admiring your exquisite male body, it is regrettably time for you to get dressed and prepare yourself."

Tim numbly dressed, not remembering even getting up off the bed to do so, and stood before Shirra.

"Almost time, lover. Soon we'll be together."

Tim felt the world spin around him as the flickering torch lights faded away. Floating in a sea of blackness. Tim closed his eyes. He welcomed the shift, he didn't want to see that bedchamber or Shirra ever again.

It was very early morning when he returned to his cell. Ileeya was sleeping soundly, curled up beneath her blanket. Tim looked over to the other side of the cell where the illusional Tim appeared to be sleeping. He took a couple of steps toward it and it blinked out of existence.

Tim just stood there, his hands trembling. His stomach lurched as he thought of what the last couple of hours had held for him. He had learned some things he would rather not know, and he had been used to impregnate a woman who may as well be a devil.

He hyper-ventilated and pushed his back up against the cool stone wall. Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God. This was surely hell. He must have been a horrible sinner on earth and this was hell.

The horrible demon woman, who planned to take over the world amidst much violence and chaos, who wanted to cause the only woman he ever loved to suffer, who attempted to enter his mind and implant in him the intense desire to serve her, was now pregnant with his child.

A child that would be doomed to grow in her evil shadow, to become as twisted and corrupt as she. A child that would take over the world when her rule came to end, reigning over subjects whose loyalty was forced, mercilessly torturing those who refused.

Tim stood there for what seemed an eternity before wearily climbing into his bed and falling into an exhausted sleep. He had gotten very little sleep in Shirra's chambers. His muscles practically begged for rest, having been tensed during the entire episode she had cleverly plotted for the seed implantation.

Although he slept, he did not rest, and instead endured vivid nightmares of Shirra's takeover. Every detail she had painstakingly told him earlier that evening came back, this time with clear images to match.

The Grand Tournament arena was filled with people from many different lands. The world leaders shared box seats high above the action, and eagerly watched the action in the arena below.

Suddenly, all the leaders succumbed to some strange illness, and began convulsing and vomiting blood. The action in the arena stopped as everyone looked into the Royal Stands where the leaders had been sitting quietly just a few minutes before.

Just as the leaders fell over dead, the clouds boiled and turned red, then Shirra suddenly appeared at the top of the arena where all could see her.

In a very loud voice she announced, "Stand, and be judged. Only a few of you are worthy enough to serve me, and the rest of you will all die by my hand."

Everyone stood, and within moments, most of them were writhing on the ground, gripped in the throes of extreme pain. They cried out as they died violently.

The few who were left disappeared from sight, taken to a holding cell where they would await further instructions from their new leader.

So begins the conquest for world domination.

In another restless dream, Tim saw himself sitting by Shirra's side, both of them on identical thrones. But he looked different. There was a macabre glint in his eye. And he felt different, too.

Gone was the love he had for Ileeya. In the dream he knew he had witnessed her face, wrinkled with despair, as he, personally, had handed her over to Jondak. Gone was the protection she had placed on his brain to keep Shirra's entrapments at bay. Gone was his memory of earth and where he had come from. He only remembered here, and his beautiful queen.

And his noble young son, holding his head proudly, assisting in the destruction of outlying rebel camps.

He was a gorgeous boy, with his mother's creamy opal skintone. He was tall, like his father, and he had the same brilliant sapphire eyes.
Eyes that were eager to learn the dark secrets of his heritage and how his glorious world came to be.

Tim woke up, gasping, shuddering, and soaked with sweat. He was freezing, but burning up at the same time. The images of his dreams flooded his brain like a tidal wave and he fought to not drown in the horrible visions.

His stomach heaved, and Tim crawled spastically to the pitcher left inside the cell from the night before. His head spun violently and he stumbled to the side.

He recovered, and barely made it to the pitcher before his stomach emptied its contents.

"Tim?" Ileeya said quietly from her bed. "Are you alright?"

Tim heard her and looked toward her vacantly, but had difficulty focusing on her.

"Tim?" Ileeya asked again, coming over to sit beside him. Finally, Tim managed to focus, and for one horrifying second, thought he was back by Shirra's side again. The moment passed, and he was in Ileeya's company again.

Ileeya looked at him, her face lined with concern. She asked him if everything was okay, and he told her, in no uncertain terms, that he most definitely was not okay. He shared all the information he had with her, taking a break to vomit again half-way through. When he was done, she was just as pale as he was and he got the pitcher ready.

Between the Light and the Darkness Chapter 23

2009-01-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

After tossing and turning for an indeterminable amount of time, he heard Ileeya's voice in his head. Tim! She's coming! Pretend like you're sleeping!

Obviously, she wasn't sleeping either. He lied still and willed his breathing to slow. He steeled himself to get through this, one way or another. He was going to have to do one hell of an acting job.

He was aware of a flash of light, which was bright even through his closed lids, then he felt like he was floating. It was the same sensation he had when Shirra had sent him back to the confinement cell the first time he had been at her dwelling.

He felt the softness of her bed under him and suddenly didn't know if he should wake up or if he was supposed to sleep during the teleportation. Quickly, he rationalized that the sensation of movement was fairly minute, especially through closed eyes. If he were in a deep slumber, like he would normally be that time of night, then he probably would sleep right through it. He kept his eyes closed.

"Awaken, lover," he heard Shirra's voice say. He took a deep breath, inwardly, and opened his eyes. When he first saw Shirra, standing there looking down at him, the lust in her eyes apparent, the first emotion he felt was hatred. Pure and raw hatred. But he smiled at her, imagining she were Ileeya.

Shirra smiled back at him and sat on the bed with him, putting her hand on his face. He tried not to wince at her touch. Afraid she would see the truth in his eyes, he looked away from her face and, grabbing, her hand, started kissing it. His stomach threatened to betray him, but he fought for control.

"Why is your hand shaking, Tim?" she asked.

Oh no! He hadn't realized his hands were shaking. He was sweating, too.

"I'm just so happy to see you," he lied. "I really missed you."

She seemed pleased with his response and he breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Of course, that was nothing compared to what he was going to have to go through.

"I missed you too, my darling. I'm so glad we could get together," she purred sweetly.

Tim hated her. Hated her for the things he had done to so many, including him. He allowed his anger to bubble over, fed on it, and let it take control.
He grabbed Shirra roughly by the shoulders and threw her down onto the bed. He pulled off his clothes and aggressively took her, taking out his anger on her. It helped him get through it, and she loved it.

Afterward, she lay curled next to him. He could almost pretend she were Ileeya, now, her body felt the same next to his. He forced himself to stroke her arm, she would expect some sort of display of affection. She fell asleep next to him, breathing deeply, contentedly.

Tim rolled over, facing away from her. He knew he wouldn't find sleep. Instead he wondered when he would be able to go back to Ileeya. Of all the men on all the different worlds, why him? Why did Shirra find the need to torment her sister? Was it for revenge? Revenge for killing her, well, trying to kill her?

He must have dozed a little himself, because he woke to the sound of voices. It was Shirra and Jondak, talking to each other. There was no mistaking Jondak's thick accent. Tim didn't move. He just lied there, listening.

"But I don't understand, Shirra," Jondak was saying, "why didn't you just take him from the beginning? Why wait?"

"Because, I wasn't interested in him until the little slut decided she was interested. I was too busy laying my plans. And now I'm laying Tim."

"And, how are your plans going?"

"They're going very well. Everything is going according to schedule. We can plan our main strike during the Grand Tournament. All the major land leaders will be there. No one will be expecting it."

"I don't suppose..."

"Ugh. What is it now, Jondak?"

"I was wondering...you said you'd give me my reward and it's been weeks."

"Yes. I'll give you your reward. But I promise you, you ask me one more time and you'll have to spend time entertaining my pets."

"I understand, Mistress."

"Actually," Shirra said, her voice dripping with sweetness, "how long has it been?"

"Mistress?"

"How long has it been since you did time? Hmmmm. Now let me think. Why, I believe it's been several weeks. You're way past due."

"Please, no. I'll do whatever you wish. Please don't send me again."

"Now, Jondak. You know better than to argue with me. Now. Since you're way past due, I think ten minutes is in order, don't you?"

"Please..." Jondak whined.

"Oh,very well. Since you did such a good job for me a couple of weeks ago, I'll only give you five minutes."

"But, Mistress Shirra..."

"Goodbye, Jondak," she uttered a few words in another language and suddenly Jondak was screaming. Not just screaming; but begging, whining, and whimpering as well. He sounded like he was being tortured.

Tim rolled over then, to see what was happening. He saw Jondak in the chamber beyond the bedroom. He seemed stuck to the wall, much like Tim was during the ritual. Jondak's arms and legs were spread, and he appeared unable to move them. He was frantically looking around and struggling to free himself. Tim couldn't understand what was going on.

Shirra turned to him, seeing that he was awake. "Mmmm. Hello, my love. You remember Jondak," she said as she indicated the screaming Irnaxxian in the next room.

"What's wrong with him?" Tim asked.

She sauntered over to him. "Nothing, really, but he thinks he's being devoured by demons. It's quite a vivid illusion." She straddled him and ran a hand up his leg. Tim forced a smile.

She kissed him deeply, her breathing quickened. He could feel her heart beat against his chest.

"Take me, Tim. Take me while he screams."

Like previously, he concentrated on the task at hand, trying to get through it convincingly. When her scream mingled with Jondak's tortured cries, she collapsed in a heap against Tim's sweaty chest. Tim pulled her hair back and bit her on the neck. Shirra moaned.

"No more my pet," she said breathlessly. "It's almost time to send you back."

"What about him?" Tim asked, indicating Jondak, still screaming in the next room.

"Oh. I almost forgot. Kehangti!"

Jondak slumped to the floor, curled into a fetal position, and whimpered.

"Aren't you worried he'll have a heart attack or something?" Tim asked.

"I've taken certain measures to ensure that no physical damage will come to him. I need him. I can't dispose of him yet. The most that will happen is he'll pass out. And now my sweet," she said to him as she ran her fingers through his hair, "dawn is fast approaching and we must get you back before you're missed."

Tim feigned a pout and got up to retrieve his clothes. Shirra watched him intently as he dressed. When he was done, she came over to him and embraced him. He hugged her back and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I do believe I'm falling for you, Tim. I'll be glad when I can get my business all wrapped up and you won't have to leave. It'll be nice to have you living here with me, fulfilling all my desires," he jumped a little when she grabbed his rear end. She giggled, "I'm going to miss you."

Out of curiosity, but trying to sound eager, Tim asked, "When will that be?"

"Soon. Just a few more months. But in the meantime, we'll just have to keep meeting like this."

"I can't wait," Tim said.

"Get ready," Shirra said.

Tim closed his eyes and waited.

Ileeya was sitting up waiting for him when he got back.

"I would ask you how it went," Ileeya said, "except I'm afraid to hear the answer."

"I don't think she suspected anything."

Ileeya kept her head down, "I didn't realize this would be so hard for me."

She got up then and looked at him. He could see she'd been crying. He pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. She clung to him, crying on his shoulder.

"I saw you, Tim. I didn't want to. I didn't even try to, but it just jumped into my head. You were...you were ...touching her. She was on top of you, and you guys...were, well, you know what you were doing, and you were smiling at her."

"Ileeya, I'm so sorry. I feel horrible.

"I wasn't prepared to see you looking like you enjoyed it. I don't know what I expected. I hate her. I hate her so much!"

"She doesn't have my love, Ileeya. Only you have that."

They went to their separate beds, too exhausted to push the mattresses together. What seemed like only minutes, but must have been at least an hour, judging by how groggy he felt when he awoke, the door was opened and breakfast was set inside.

They got up and stretched, yawning widely, and started eating. Neither spoke, and an uncomfortable silence hung in the air. A short while later it was time to go. The guard took them to their separate working areas and they started their day.

It felt strange with Ileeya, now, and Tim was happy to be in the field so he could have a chance to think. He hoped the awkwardness would go away. He felt bad that she saw them together. During the particular time Ileeya saw them, Shirra had been looking right at him, screwing him; he couldn't very well frown at her. What was he supposed to do? He wished there was something he could say or do that would make Ileeya feel better. If she hadn't been developing her powers, she may not have seen them. Damn it!

In the dining hall that day, Ileeya had a rare lunch without interruption. Jondak was nowhere to be seen. Tim hadn't even noticed Jondak wasn't in the field, he was so preoccupied with his thoughts. Rumor had it that Jondak was sick and spending the day in his cell. Tim had no sympathy for him. Absolutely none. In fact he was happy Jondak had suffered. The only thing Tim regretted is that he wasn't the one causing Jondak to utter those torturous cries. He was glad that Shirra had made him see the illusion for at least twenty minutes instead of only five as she had promised.

When they returned to their cell, they stood looking at each other for a time. They tried to talk at the same time, giggled and started over.

"I'm not mad at you, Tim. I just underestimated my own ability to handle it. If the vision had not popped into my head, I would have done much better."

"I don't even know what to say except I'm sorry about this situation. I'm sorry you had to see what you did. I'm sorry we're stuck in this damn cell and not somewhere else."

He sighed deeply. "I overheard part of a conversation between your sister and Jondak. The two of them are going to try and assassinate the major land owners during the next Grand Tournament. Shirra's basically trying to take over the world."

"How could she possibly do that?" Ileeya asked.

"I don't know," Tim said. "She didn't give any details. I don't even know what to do with this information. Should I tell someone? And, if yes, what should I tell them? That I'm a sex slave and I overheard my master talking about her plans for world domination, but I don't know

how?"

Ileeya cringed when Tim referred to himself as a 'sex slave.'

"I'm sorry, Ileeya, I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay, but we should definitely tell someone."

"No. I should tell someone. I don't want to drag you into this. It's not your burden."

"Are you kidding me?" Ileeya snorted, "Of course this is my burden. I live on this planet, too. Besides, it's my evil twin that's trying to take over the world. Not to mention," she said as she looked into his eyes, "I love you. We'll tackle this problem together."

How could he say no? They decided to do nothing until after his next visit with Shirra. Then he would try to get some more information out of her. They just wondered how long they would have to wait.

Between the Light and the Darkness Chapter 22

2008-12-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

Luckily, the next day was a field day. Tim didn't think he would be able to hide his feelings for Ileeya if he had to be near her all day. That would be too hard a test. Alone with his thoughts, he set about his work. He was almost starting to enjoy his days of mindless gardening. He threw himself into it while he thought about all that had happened. He wondered when Shirra would come back for him, and dreaded the moment. He wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next. Something big is going to happen, Timmy, something real big. A fight between good and evil. Tim guessed he would just have to wait and see.

At lunch that day, Tim noticed Jondak sitting next to Ileeya. He was stroking her hair and saying something to her. Her lips formed a frown and she said something to him. Jondak seemed totally unaware that Tim had looked their way. Obviously, he thought Tim was under Shirra's control, and no longer interested in what happened between himself and Ileeya. Tim braved another look or two. When he saw Jondak lean over and kiss her cheek he thought he would lose it and blow his cover.

Ileeya pulled her head away from Jondak and frowned at him. She looked up at Tim for just a moment and their eyes locked. Jondak looked up at Tim, as well. Tim tried on his best poker face and looked away disinterestedly, hoping he looked convincing. He did not look back at them again.

During the evenings over the next couple of weeks, they practiced mind games together. He had Ileeya attempt to move things with her mind, attempt to read his mind, and attempt to communicate telepathically with him. Before they went to sleep, he asked her to tell herself to send her dreams to him. Something had to work, he hoped.

Most of the time they were unsuccessful and they were getting exhausted. But there was the occasional victory that kept them plugging away. He had Ileeya once change the evening water into a delicious wine. Once she read Tim's mind. And twice she made one of the pieces of meat wiggle, just a little, but it was a start.

It was during one of these evenings that they took the time to show their love for each other in a physical way. Being with Ileeya was everything it was not with her sister. With Ileeya, it was slow, tender, full of love. With Shirra, it was rushed, rough. Shirra was aggressive, Ileeya was demure, ladylike. They were perfectly in sync with one another. It felt like it was meant to be. Tim fell in love with Ileeya all over again, falling asleep holding her and counting himself lucky.

Although it was hard, Tim managed to get through the days without showing his feelings for Ileeya. He knew Jondak was always watching her, and didn't want Jondak to see Ileeya looking toward him. So he tried his best not to look at the two. Lunches were hell, but somehow Tim got through them by forcing himself to concentrate on his food.

One night, she had succeeded in sending Tim her dream. In this dream, Jondak was getting friendly with her and she lost her temper and shoved him backward, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his rear end. His humiliation was obvious, and a black hatred sprung into his eyes and distorted his face. Ileeya, feeling both scared and guilty, reached out to him to help him up.

Jondak got the strangest smile on his face, the same one he'd worn the day of the Grand Tournament during their handshake and the vision he caused Tim to see. In the vision he gave Ileeya, both she and Jondak were in a small house. Ileeya was standing in front of a bed, crying.

Jondak kissed her forcefully and she fought him. He slapped her hard enough to make her fall backward on the bed. Jondak leaned over her and whispered in her ear that if she resisted him, he would kill her. He took out a dagger to prove his point, and ran it across her cheek, barely scratching the surface, leaving a thin line of blood. She whimpered, then, and begged him to stop. He ignored her pleas.

He held her face firmly in his hand and looked her in the eye. "You are mine," he hissed. He forced himself on her and she screamed.

Tim awoke with a start and looked over at Ileeya's sleeping form. She was moaning and tossing and turning, crying in her sleep. She stopped suddenly and her breathing slowed. The nightmare was over and she began to sleep peacefully once more. This must have been the vision Jondak gave her.

During the vision Jondak had forced on Tim, he didn't just see the images, he was really there. He could feel, hear, taste everything. Judging by how scared Ileeya was, it was just as intense for her. No wonder she didn't resist him. She was terrified of him.

Tim hated Jondak anew. He wanted to kill the bastard and hoped he'd get the chance. What kind of coward had to intimidate people in this manner? Ileeya had told him that Irnaxxians used their telepathic abilities to their advantage. Jondak was nothing more than a bully. Tim didn't know how he was supposed to get through the lunches now. It was going to take all his strength not to jump out of his seat and strangle the living crap out of him.

~*~*~*~*

Shirra was happy. Her plans went well. Several of the smaller provinces were at war. With each other, with themselves, it didn't matter. Their leaders were dead and the people were aimless. They were now hers. She would soon be ready for a break. Just a few more ends to tie up, then it would be time to bring Tim back and have a little fun.

~*~*~*~*

"Tim," she nudged him, "Tim, wake up."

"Huh? What is it?" he asked sleepily. It was about an hour or so before morning.

"She's coming back for you. I'm not sure when, but soon. Maybe a couple of weeks. I just...felt it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I feel it. It's such an odd sensation. Like a thought that popped into my head, but it's more than that. It's like when you have a gut feeling about something. It's hard to explain, but I know I'm right."

Tim fought the bile that began to rise in his throat. He was glad she was able to pick that up. It showed him that the power was indeed there, she just needed to practice using it. He decided not to tell her she had succeeded in projecting her dream to him. He was thrilled that she had finally done it, but definitely not thrilled with the content. She made no mention of having the dream, and he didn't want to bring it up and make her think of it all day.

Tim feared Shirra's reappearance. He didn't want to go back to her in her bed chamber any more than he wanted to dig his eyeballs out with the tip of his sword. He hoped he would be able to perform the tasks ahead of him convincingly. He would have to find a way to detach himself and let his mind go somewhere else.
He resolved to try his best, for Ileeya's sake.

Today was a practice day. This day was Tim's biggest test, yet. Every time he saw Jondak, he kept seeing him in Ileeya's dreams with that self satisfied sneer on his face. He wanted to bash his head against the stone wall. Repeatedly. He put all that extra energy into his practicing. Tim studied hard, he had a feeling he would need these skills sometime in the future.

They had recently had a slave tournament, and he did very well. People were starting to pay attention to him, to cheer him. Ileeya said he was picking up his skills very quickly. Of course, he was super motivated to do well. He wished there were many more practice days so he could advance even faster.

Tim didn't know how he got through lunch, but somehow he miraculously did. At one point, he didn't even know why he even looked, to torture himself, obviously. Jondak was sitting next to her, touching her hand. Tim kept seeing the dream Jondak grabbing Ileeya's wrists roughly. He knew Jondak hadn't actually done any physical harm to her, but the mental anguish was bad enough. He might as well have done those horrible things to her, by forcing her to see it. Bastard!

Tim was absolutely livid. It took every ounce of restraint he could muster not pounce him and just go nuts on him. Stabbing him with his fork, punching his smug, smiling face, cramming handful after handful of food down his throat, kicking him till he stopped moving.

Boy, he wished he had a punching bag. Instead, he started exercising in the cell in the evenings until he was exhausted. Ileeya begged him to stop and sit by her and talk, but Tim really needed to get these feelings out. It was the only outlet he had.

They continued to practice Ileeya's emerging skills, which were starting to show improvement. She was starting to believe in herself and becoming more confident, which gave her more success.

Instead of dried cardboard-like meat and plain water on most evenings, Ileeya treated them to sumptuous elven cuisine and fine wine. Tim was able to think about things from his own world, and Ileeya could pick them up a little more than half the time. One night, thanks to Tim's help, she was able to change the dried meat into hotdogs.

She was also able to send Tim clear pictures of her home, too. It was beautiful. So rich and colorful; peaceful.

Once Ileeya sent the meat scraps flying, and in one instance, had two going at the same time, at different speeds. She was starting to get to the point where she didn't have to concentrate quite as hard to accomplish these feats. And several evenings she was able to project her dreams to him. Thankfully, they were mostly happy.

On one of these nights, as they lay together, nude, Ileeya quietly said, "She's coming to get you tonight, Tim."

Tim believed her, had seen her abilities improve dramatically over the last several weeks.

It felt like a cold hand squeezed his heart. "I don't want to go."

"I don't want you to go, either. Just get through it quickly. Maybe she'll send you back before the night is over."

But Tim knew she wouldn't. He would be stuck with her all night. He was fairly certain she'd send him back before the guards came to get them for the day's work, because she had said before that she didn't want to arouse suspicion, at least, not yet. What if she decided she didn't care anymore and didn't send him back at all?

Ileeya picked up on that. "Get up," she said to him. He complied without question.

She gently placed her hands on Tim's shoulders, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Tim felt a comfortable blue swirling feeling in his brain.

"There," Ileeya said, "I have placed a protection on your mind. Shirra can no longer dominate you, even if she put you through another ritual. It wouldn't work. Furthermore, you are protected from all other forms of mental attacks."

"When did you learn how to do that?" Tim asked.

"Just now," she said, smiling at him. "You better get dressed. She'll be here in a few hours. Maybe you can get some sleep before she gets here."

Tim kissed her lovingly, and then dressed and bedded down, after pushing the beds back to their proper places. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. It was going to be an agonizing next few hours while he waited.

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 21 - Fond Remembrance

2008-12-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Tim gazed over at Ileeya, sleeping soundly, and felt envious. He wished he could claim sleep, as well. But as seemed the norm lately, he tossed and turned restlessly in bed until finally throwing in the towel and getting up. It was still and quiet, and once again his thoughts were rampaging out of control.

He was so weary of thinking of the situation with Shirra, and in an effort to avoid those thoughts, he concentrated on Gertie, instead. His heart ached with her loss. She had been like a grandmother to him. A best friend, a person he shared many things with. He shared more with her than he did his own mother.

He let his thoughts wander back in time, to when life was so much simpler and the only major decision he had to make each day was what fast food delivery he was going to order for dinner.

"Sigh. How can you stand this place, Tim? It's such a pig sty."

He cast an eye over the apartment. At the takeout boxes lying on the counter, the dirty counter, the pile of dirty laundry in the living room, the mess of trash Bones drug in that he hadn't gotten around to picking up.

"It's not that bad...,"

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't be surprised if a monster snuck out from under your bed and kidnapped you. At least then I would understand why you didn't call more often."

"I'm sorry, time slipped away and I got busy...,"

"Busy doing what? Not cleaning, that's for sure." Her face suddenly lit up. "I know, a girlfriend! That's why you never call. You have a girlfriend and you've been busy - maybe thinking about popping the question. Of course I would hope you would have told me about something so important."

"Mom...,"

"So when do I get to meet her? When's the wedding? Do you have rings picked out, yet?"

"I'm not getting married."

"What! You've gotten a woman pregnant with my grandchild and you don't intend to marry her? I raised you better than that! If I were dead I'd be rolling in my grave right now."

"Mom! Nobody is pregnant. I don't even have a girlfriend."

"Sigh. I truly don't understand it, Timmy. You're a gorgeous boy. You have a," she cast a furtive look around, "decent place. You're fun loving and caring, a little too predictable, but you have a lot to offer."

"I just haven't found anyone I like."

"Well try not to take forever. I would like grandchildren someday, you know. Before I rot."

Tim rolled his eyes mentally, but said nothing. "So, how's Dad?" he said, desperately trying to change the topic.

"Great. I think. I hardly ever get to see him. Ever since the pond was dug he's been fishing nonstop. You should see all the fish he has mounted up on the walls. And when he's not having them mounted, he's cooking them on the fancy grill he bought. You've seen the grill, have you? Oh, that's right, you haven't been to visit since we got it three months ago. We have fish for dinner nearly every night. And for lunch. Sometimes he's even up at the crack of dawn grilling fish for breakfast! There's nothing quite like the smell of charred salmon at six in the morning! My whole house smells like fish. He cooks it outside, but the smell always comes in the house and clings to everything. Fishy blankets, fishy furniture, fishy clothes, fishy carpet, even Mr. Peaches smells like fish, although he probably doesn't mind, being a cat and all. I swear if your father feeds me fish one more time I'm going to grow fins and jump in the nearest ocean! What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy you came for a visit."

"So. Whatever have you been doing with yourself if you're not dating or cleaning up this wreck you call a house? I'm telling you, you need to hire a maid or something. Maybe a cook, too," she eyed the takeout containers suspisciously. "It's not healthy to be eating that garbage all the time."

"I'll think about it."

"You'll think about it. You told me that the last time I was here and that was several months ago. How do you live in this mess? No wonder you don't have a girlfriend. I was thinking of attending a Social next weekend, and inviting you, hoping you would meet a nice girl. But what am I supposed to say? 'This is my son, Trashy Tim'? That wouldn't go over well there, that's for sure."

"I don't want to meet any girl that goes to a Country Club, Mom I can't stand those women. They're so fake and...plastic. It would be like dating a mannequin."

His mother looked at him incredulously. "I go to the country club! I'm not like that."

"That's because you're already married. You don't need to scout for an eligible man."

For a miraculous minute, his mother was speechless, and the only sound that could be heard was the buzzing of flies circling the takeout containers. But it wasn't long before his mother broke the silence. It never was.

"Have I told you about Gertie, yet?"

"No...I'm not interested in a blind date, Mom."

"Not for a date, to clean up your abyss of an apartment."

Tim rolled his eyes mentally again and kept his mouth shut while his mother continued.

"She was my neighbor's nanny for many years, but their youngest just went off to college and now she's looking for another job. In addition to taking care of the children, she also cooked and cleaned. That would be perfect for you."

"I don't have any kids..."

"Maybe you will, someday, after we find you a girlfriend."

"I'll think about it."

"Pfaw! I'm sending her over tomorrow for an interview."

Once again he rolled his eyes inwardly. Arguing with her did no good.

The following morning, Tim woke up to an unusal smell. It was...pancakes! With real maple syrup. The smell had crept up the stairs and was luring him its source. His mother must have come back and made breakfast for him. She was naggy, but she was a good mom.

He quickly showered and dressed and went downstairs, where a steaming plate was sitting on the table. But the woman standing at the stove was not his mother.

"Good morning. You must be Tim. Breakfast is ready"

"And you are..."

"I'm Gertie. Oh, I hope you don't mind me letting myself in. Your mother gave me a key. Said you could use some help, and boy was she right! Never in all my years of caring for kids have I seen such a mess! And I thought children were messy."

Tim looked around. He would hardly have recognized the place. Everything was clean. No garbage laying around, the windows gleamed, the floor was visible. He had to admit to himself the place looked great. He looked over at Bones who was watching Gertie with a hopeful eye, wagging his tail.

"Some watchdog you turned out to be," he grumbled. Bones glanced his way before returning his gaze to the lady with the food.

"Sit down and we'll talk about my terms of employment."

Tim tried to keep an amused smile from creeping onto his face. She was a lot like his mother.

"I work from six a.m. to seven p.m. with a two hour break from twelve to two. I cook, clean, and shop for groceries. I'll also take care of your lovely dog. Bathing is a necessity, you know. Poor dog was so filthy he was drawing flies, just like the rest of this apartment. I'll provide breakfast and dinner, five days a week. I assume you can heat up leftovers the other two days? I have Tuesdays and Saturdays off."

Tim took a bite of the pancakes. They were homemade buttermilk. The rich texture melted in his mouth, sheer perfection. His mother was a pretty good cook, but these were the best he'd ever had.

"If you like those, wait until you taste the steak I'm making for dinner."

"Steak?" Tim echoed hollowly.

"I charge $300 per week. Do we have a deal?"

Kind of pricey, but it was worth it. Tim couldn't remember the last time he had steak. And if it was anything like these pancakes, he wouldn't be paying her enough. "Definitely," Tim mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Tears stung his eyes. He would never see Gertie again. And his parents. Would he ever get to see them again? He cursed this place. Why? Why was he here? If it's true that Ileeya brought him here, then why did she do it? Something big is going to happen, Timmy.

Tim resisted the urge to punch the stone wall with his fist. Instead, he crawled into bed, willing his brain to quiet so he could try to salvage the rest of the night.