Undiscovered Origins

Undiscovered Origins - Chapter 31

Chapter 31:

            When Jade awoke, the sun was out and Caldwell and she were draped in each other’s arms. She wasn’t quite sure where their clothes went, but when her eyes opened to see Caldwell next to her she didn’t care. All that mattered was the utter bliss that their situation created. The silence surrounding them was broken by a flurry of bird songs that echoed in the distance.

            Caldwell twitched as his eyes opened to look deep into hers. Jade became lost in the icy blue frost swirls as they seemed to draw her in. He smiled as he stared back at her and for a moment, time seemed to cease and everything became still. She leaned towards him and his hand went straight to her face where it rested gently against her cheek before stroking through her hair.

            “Good morning,” he said.

            “Good morning,” Jade smiled.

            He leaned in and forcefully pulled her head towards him where he planted a gentle kiss upon her lips. At first his abruptness caught her off guard and nearly scared her at first, but she soon got over it and welcomed the cool lips that pressed eagerly against hers. It was the first time she felt desired, wanted in such a way that Caldwell wanted nothing in return, or at least the only thing he wanted was her.

            Their lips didn’t separate and wasn’t short lived by any means. She was sure he meant nothing by it as his hands kept behaved, but that didn’t mean that her own loins were burning with desire. She wanted him as much as she wanted him the night before, but she was still too sore. Everything was still too fresh in her mind, the passion, the desire, and the intimacy.

Jade shamefully took her lips away from his and looked to the ground where she saw a large spot of blood, her blood, which made her feel uneasy. Suddenly she felt exposed and covered herself, frantically looking for her clothes that Caldwell had so casually tossed aside the night before. She blushed as she smiled and turned her head away from him.

“You are beautiful, do you know that?” he said.

“I had a wonderful time last night,” she said.

“As did I,” he smiled.

Footsteps from behind shattered the silence that seemed to enclose around them. Jade frantically searched for her clothes to cover herself but only found her leather armor that she draped across her naked skin. When she looked up she saw Caldwell tightening his leather pants and standing protectively in front of her. She tilted her head to the side where she saw a centaur smirking at the two of them.

“Awe, how adorable, two little love birds – wrapped in each other’s arms,” he laughed, “Honestly Jade, I thought you had better taste.”

“Marshall, leave now. This is no business that concerns you,” Caldwell said.

The name of Marshall rang a bell for Jade. She wasn’t quite sure what it was at first, but as she studied the centaur she noticed the resemblance he took from Lorimer and suddenly nightmares began to haunt her conscious mind. She remembered everything from the night that her mind seemed to lock away from her. Flashbacks invaded her mind of the centaur trying to force her down in his home before Drake broken her free. She shivered and grasped tightly at Caldwell’s muscular arms.

“What’s the matter Jade? You look afraid, almost terrified in fact. Didn’t you enjoy the experience that we shared the last time we met?” Marshall grinned.

Jade clutched even harder at Caldwell’s arms, digging her nails deep into his skin, and causing him to look at her with suspicion. She shook with terror as her eyes opened wide and she took a few steps back.

“Don’t let him touch me,” Jade whispered.

Caldwell nodded and stepped forward, tearing away from Jade’s terrifying grip. His coppery skin turned lighter by the second until it became blue. Ice formed over his hands as he stepped towards Marshall that made his hands turn completely white.

“Do not interfere Marshall, or I will be forced to inform the council,” Caldwell said.

“Oh?” Marshall asked, “And what would you tell them? That you succeeded in your mission to bed the dryad? That is what they asked you to do is it not?”

Caldwell tensed and ice balls formed at his fingertips. He raised his hands and shot forth ten icicles that Marshall easily deflected with a flurry of vines that he released from his own arms. Caldwell tried again with a beam of solid water that formed to ice as it traveled, but Marshall simply stepped out of the way.

Marshall roared in laughter, “What Caldwell, did you hope to keep that little secret from your precious dryad? I was given the same task you see. However, I did not wish to wait for such an opportunity to arise. Instead I planned to take her, to make her mine. She would have been mine, my slave to do with whatever I wished. Yet that blasted wyvern got in the way before I could do what she craved. Why does the council want her broken do you think? Is this about her, or do they simply want to break Drake?”

“Shut up!” Caldwell screamed.

“Caldwell, what is he talking about?” Jade asked.

“Nothing,” Caldwell dismissed.

“Go ahead Caldwell, tell her,” Marshall insisted, “The council has offered many rewards to the one who can bed and control you. I believe they think that when Drake is around you he is weak. And you… well you are weak. If we are to be strong to defeat what hunts us, we need to be strong. Affection, love - that is a weakness.”

“Shut up!” Caldwell raged.

A blizzard began to form above them that stormed down hail and sleet. Marshall rolled in laughter.

“Is that what this is Caldwell? Have you succumbed to this weakness? You do not have feelings for this dryad do you?”

Caldwell turned to look at Jade, tears welling in his eyes, hands clenched in fists and twitching uncontrollably. “Run, Jade.”

Jade stood there, frozen in thought. Shivers ran down her spine that weren’t front the blizzard above. She realized how she had been played. Everything Caldwell said to her, all those battles they practiced and all that he said to her had been a lie. Everybody around her played her for a fool, and she realized that this place was no different from the circus life. She still received no respect. Drake hadn’t treated her well, but at least he had been up front with her. He told her exactly like it was. There was nothing that he sugarcoated to get into her pants, even though she could see that he desired it.

Caldwell was already turned back towards Marshall, balls of ice forming in his snow white hands. His entire exposed body was now white and steam was radiating from him. Jade clenched her fists and took a step forward.

“How dare you play me for a fool!” She screamed.

Caldwell turned around, and when he did, her hand found his face in such a fury that knocked the frost out of him. He fell to his knees and transformed from white back to blue. His tears froze before they could fall down his face and he looked up to her in sorrow.

Marshall croaked a deep laugh and stepped forward bringing his arms out that were wrapped in vines. The vines crawled up Caldwell’s body and crushed in inside, making his scream in agony before he collapsed to the ground unconscious. Marshall stepped forward and let his vines loose again to travel up her body immobilizing her.

“And now Jade… at last – you are mine!” Marshall snapped.