Eternal Beasts

At Long Last

The big rider could only nod as icy fingers of fatigue worked their way through his body, his strength already sapped. It would take the little fire some time to draw those fingers out as his strength returned. But Jared's body wasn't about to wait. As he watched the flames, the crevice began to spin, slowly at first, then more rapidly. Until finally, with a grown, his eyelids fluttered closed and Jared was unconscious.

Time seemed to float by as jared swam in the world of dreams, watching curiously as, in no kind of order, scenes from his escape from the necromancer, the flight to Isla Mobius, his time in the shack at Black Bend, and his time in Kaem Borath filled his dream eyes with color and memory. Then, strangely, time seemed to slow as icy claws began ripping their way through the colorful visions. Jared felt his angry begin to rage. 'Who would dare disturb me in such a manner?' he cried in his dream. As if in response, the dream world abruptly swirled and pulled away as if Jared sped down a long tunnel away from it. And then it was gone.

The big man's eyes fluttered open to find Nikeera gently shaking him.

"Thank the Maker!" she breathed, naked concern and fear for him on her beautiful face. "I wasn't sure if you would wake at all, even with Wren working on you!"

"Are ... are we still in the crevice?" Jared rasped thickly, his brain refusing to work properly.

"Yes. Here, you must eat something." A half frozen piece of travel bread came into Jared's strangely restricted field of vision. "It's morning and you need to build up your strength before we can press on!"

"How much further?" Jared managed to ask.

"Gereth says maybe a couple more hours to Muul HesBaden, if the weather holds," she quietly reported.

"Where ...?"

"He's still sleeping. Wren has the watch and is guarding the entrance, or she'd be here trying to restore your strength with her healing magic. Gereth went out earlier to scout when the storm lessened." Seeing that he was still too weak to eat, Nikeera put the travel bread to the side.

Jared nodded, letting his eyes fall closed again. Only two more hours before they entered the caverns beneath Muul kerKerath and got out of this damn storm! It wouldn't be long now.

Seeing Jared's eyes close, Nikeera sighed in both worry and longing. Since the Danath, she had struggled to keep her hands to herself and her lips away from places that would get them both in trouble. And yet, she couldn't control her thoughts. Because why should she? Jared was her husband! It was right and true for her to desire him ... all the time.

She sighed again. All the time; her delicious man filled her veins with fire and her womanhood with desire all the time! It didn't help that their cuddling did nothing but keep her turned on the entire time they were together. And now, he had the temerity, the outright gall to save her life and keep her from falling to her doom, so now she wanted him even more! Even drained of energy from saving all of them from the rest of that dragon flight, she just wanted to roll him over and fumble open the cords holding his breeches closed, and ...

Her hand reached out to tenderly touch his cheek with her fingertips. Only to snatch her hand back in horror as he spasmed roughly when her skin touched his.

"Jared??" she husked fearfully. Had she hurt the only man she could ever love in some way?? 'No, not again. Not after the Danath!' she silently moaned in horror as she stared at him. And in doing so, she was in the perfect position to watch as a wave of soft, golden light washed over the big man's face. Then, as abruptly as it had started, the spasm stopped. Then Jared's eyes snapped open.

"My love! Are you alright?" Nikeera whispered hoarsely as he reached up with a hand to tenderly touch her face. She almost jerked away from it as she felt the heat that ripplied away from his skin in tangible waves. Then it captured her face and drew her close as Jared sat up. Before Nikeera could react, her cold-dried, and cracked lips were pressed against his.