A Song of Darkness

Chapter 3 Part 1

    The cool air licked the back of my neck. Blowing a swift breeze causing the leaves to swag and sing. It was peaceful. It was Vaughn.

    The smell of fire filled my senses, the warmth of smoke flying across my skin. My feet pulled me forward as the branches beneath me snapped with every movement. I hadn't tried to be quiet. An opening of the forest came into view. A fire in the center was just recently snuffed out.

    I knew the campsite as I walked to it. It was the spot Killian and I stayed that was just on a full day's ride from campus and the council. Whenever we left for the south we would come here. We marked the trees with the colophi and cleared the grass to create a patch for the fire. We had so many of them we didn't need to clear the grass away.

    I looked around and saw two-bed rolls and only one horse. I walked over to the bedrolls and began to dig through them. Looking for any sign of who is here in my camp. The packs were nearly empty, suggesting that they either ran away or they just finished a journey.

    Finding no indication of who owned the first pack, I moved to the next. When I first opened the leather satchel, the smell of lavender filled my senses. I began to dig through the small bag. There were only 2 pairs of clothes, a waterskin, and a book. When I reached for it, I froze.

    The forest was too silent. The wind seemed to hold its breath too. Slowly, I glanced around. Keeping my body rigid and almost entirely still. My body reacted before my mind did, A blade of a knife lurched towards my face, barely dodging it, I moved to the side looking back and seeing it stuck in the tree. I pulled it out analyzing the cravings, the Keloti engravings glistening in the sun. I looked back tossing the knife to his feet, "Watch who you throw things at Killian." My eyes met his, the green eyes of innocence. His shaggy blonde hair was cascading down his back in the signature single braid. In the day it reminds me of the bright sandy beaches along the coast and at night like the wheat fields in Asling. They would soon be ruined by the black magic. 

    He was my first love. Looking at him now, my heart raced. I needed to look away from his pleading eyes. The same eyes that showed concern when he would beat me in a match. The same eyes that pleaded with me to not go on missions alone. To allow him to secretly come with me. I'll never wait for a man to rescue me. Survivors and warriors are the poets of history. So, I will have to do it myself. In Vaughn though, he was my protector. He was never my lover, no matter how many times I tried. It was never going to work out.

    "Where did you go?"

    It stunned me. I forgot. I don't remember. My brows furrowed in concentration as I looked at Killian. "What day is it?"

    He took a step forward from the brush he was hiding behind. Confusion and hurt was written all over his face, "Do you not remember last night?" I thought hard and nothing came to my mind from last night, my brows furrowed in concentration. He noticed that I had not remembered. Stepping away and looking into the dead fire. I knew that look; the guilt was written all over his face.

    Blush rushed through my cheeks as my heart dropped. Never had I imagined that the one night I would do something with Killian, my memory would be lost. I sighed propping my back up against a nearby tree. When he looks back at me the air around us goes still. He bounds towards and in three swift steps he pulls me in, so every corner of our bodies is pressed together.

    Roughly bracing his hand on the back of my neck, he leaned down crushig his lips against mine. It was not as light as I expected him to be. He seemed to be starving and the only source of food was my lips. Lost in his heat, I snake my arms up his torso and around his neck. His tongue traced my bottom lip wanting access to my mouth. Allowing him to deepen the kiss, the heat of his mouth caused something in my core to flame up. He broke from my mouth by pulling my head back and taking control of my neck. Gaining access as I looked up to the trees. I have always wanted this. The warmth and hardness of his body pressed up against me. His hand that was wrapped around my back began to move downward sending shivers throughout my body. If I had known his touch would do this to me, I would have done it sooner. His hand grabbed under my ass, pulling me up and around him. My arms tightened around his neck, allowing for even more contact between us. It was bliss, to have him want me just as I have wanted him for so long.

    His had sent ripples of energy through me as his hand found its way up my tunic. The callouses palmed my breast, rolling my nipple between his fingers. Sending pleasure coursing through my body. He broke our connection and attacked my neck. Swirling his tongue on my clavicle, then moving to my breasts. The one not receiving attention from his hand soon became numb. Pleasure radiated from my body.

    His voice was a deep rumble against my neck, "I missed you, after last night I had thought I scared you away. When I woke and didn't see you, I had thought you left me." His voice was desperate as is lips formed a smile with the embrace of my lips. Confusion flowed through my mind. I pushed it back deep and something else filled my heart. I kissed him back, but with less force. Something like guilt seeped back.

    "Killian.... We broke our vows?" The shame of his eyes said it all.

    This is not the Keloti way. We were not trained this way. We can't love, it's against the vows. There was a clear line. We crossed it. No. I would never. I loved him, but I loved my life more. I loved him as a friend. I used to want him like this, but I remember why this could never workout. I never truly wanted this. I wanted to be a Keloti. I wanted to defeat the trials.

The trials.

Oh. My. Gods.

I have to....