Tragedy of Rain 27 Chapter 27: Keep what you can't kill

"We keep what we can't kill," it was the only explanation given to her by the man that held her. His strong arms kept her warm as her back rested against his chest. It felt strangely comforting, not having to burn magic to keep herself warm.

"You couldn't kill me, so you wanted to fuck me instead?" Rain could feel his sudden arousal as she spoke. She couldn't believe something so big could fit inside her. But it could...it had before...and it would again.

"It's a stupid belief my father has. Believe me, that wasn't my first reaction." His voice betrayed his nobility. He had a strong Saleah accent even though his father was from the slaver Isles. His copper skin reminded her of hot sand. He let her go and got up from the bed. The cool air instantly made her grab the blankets to wrap around herself. She instantly wanted his warmth again, "I wanted to strangle you in your sleep, I even attempted it once."

She raised an eyebrow to that. Her guard went up instantly, "So why didn't you?" She felt her heart quicken, was this hulking human really hers to enjoy? Or was he a reluctant monster teetering on punishing her? She wouldn't let that happen, she had been hurt enough.

"I don't know," he looked at her. His deep blue eyes seemed darker without any light. "Maybe I've killed enough people in my life, or maybe I admired you? Not many have had the honor of defeating me in combat. Or maybe i just really wanted to know what elf pussy felt like?"

Rain crossed her legs protectively when he said that, "I'm only half elf..."

"The best half more like it," he teased. She liked the way his voice sounded when he spoke like that. Even though she should have taken it as an insult. It was a sweet and confident voice that made her almost uncross her legs as he smiled to her.

"Not anymore, you destroyed me," Rain could feel how sore she was between her legs. She burned a little magic to heal herself. Is all he wanted was more sex? Why did she want more from him? Why did she want anything at all?

He made a short laugh at first, "It was incredible...you were incredible." It was as if he could tell that despite his nice words she felt even more discouraged. Rain just kept thinking about how much he had stretched her out, how much it hurt as they both were consumed by their animalistic desires. Would anyone ever want her now? Would she be able to satisfy anyone again? He sensed all of this just by looking at her and placed a calm hand on her knee, "You are so cute when your worried."

She didn't expect that, "Go to hell." She pushed him back and curled up in a ball. She wanted him, and she wanted to hit him. She was filled with rage, shame, and somehow a deep seated desire to trust this human. It was so confusing.

"I should apologize, for everything actually." Rain could sense the conflict in his voice.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"The truth is all of this was unexpected," He couldn't stop looking at her, she could sense how awkward he was feeling. He didn't want to stare, a remnant of noble sensibility lingered on the surface.

"You mean you didn't mean to drug me to wanting to have sex with you?" She bit her lip and regretted saying it. Somehow deep down she wanted to please him? It didn't feel right to try and hurt him. Her feelings were so confusing, so out of character to who she was. True she always liked men looking at her, and Zane hadn't been the only one to tease her for keeping her chastity for so long. But to so eagerly dive to such dark desires felt unnatural. She wondered why she kept feeling eager to go all the way with him again.

Sir Tristan looked guilty and ashamed as he digested her words. His response sounded like a man just as conflicted as she. "The spices work both ways, I just wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet. Then my good for nothing father came to see me, and he must have added something to the bath."

Rain remembered how Erebus was so eager to retrieve something from his desk as soon as she awoke. Was it possible this man didn't intent to manipulate her? He had been sitting in that water longer than she. He could have been just as lost to temptation as she was, if not more so. "Are you saying we were both manipulated?"

"How else does a man go from wanting to strangle you to...this? I am a man and of course I found you beautiful, but even I wouldn't do something so disgusting as manipulate a woman for sex. Honestly does it look like I would need to do that." He didn't, the scar on the left side of his face somehow made him more sexy to her. His hands were the only disturbing part of him, but everything else was more than satisfying. When he called her beautiful she couldn't help but smirk at him.

"Why would he do that, your father?" She noticed he scowled when she mentioned him. The resentment was clearly there to see.

"I can only guess he's a sadistic as he is clever. He's been trying to get me to sire him a grandson for years," he looked away from her and toward the wall in shame. His hand was gripping a table like he meant to break it.

"What!" She placed a hand on her stomach instantly. A million thoughts went through her mind in panic, "You want to get me pregnant!"

"No of course not! My father is the culprit here," he faced her again; concern carved into his face.

"Why does he want you to impregnate me!" Rain never even thought about having children until the mercenary Severin discusses it as a veiled threat. She hated the idea then as much as now.

"You wouldn't be the first he tried to manipulate to conceive a prodigy. It's a long and tiresome story, but he seems to believe I'm destined to have a son that would conquer the world. So he's been doing everything in his power to make it happen." He sat on the bed next to her.

She didn't know how to answer that at first. Erebus was obviously insane. How would he even acquire such a prediction?

"It sounds like he's gone mad," she finally answered. She still had a hand on her stomach. She didn't notice it, but the man had.

"How do you think I feel about it? Because I'm supposed to be destined to father a brat he isn't afraid to throw me in the most dangerous missions! He doesn't believe I could die on the battlefield."

"I'm not bearing your child, or anyone's." Rain moved her hands away and grabbed hold on the blanket. She tightened it around her as if her life depended on it.

"Thank the gods," he noticed her shivering and wrapped his arm around her. As much as she wanted to push him away she liked having him hold her. Her head rested against him. "I know I came a lot...how likely do you think?"

She knew he was obviously talking about load after load he had sullied her with. She remembered how hot it was as it spread to fill her insides. It felt so good to squeeze him dry....she closed her eyes trying to clear her head. She thought about it for a moment. "I'm close to the end of my cycle so...it's not likely." Even still she knew it only needed to happen once. One time was all that was necessary to fertilize the eggs in her womb. Even late in her cycle it was possible. The odds weren't in favor of conception, but there was a chance. She swallowed just thinking of seeing her stomach swell with his child.

"Maybe there's nothing to worry about...but damnit if you don't drive me crazy." they both felt the drive within to kiss each other again. Just being in the same room, this close, made her feel wet.

She planted a hand on his chest, she felt his heart beating. "What if I am..."

There was a long pause until he placed his free hand against hers, he sighed and then chuckled as if realizing something, "Would it ultimately be so bad? I would of course take care of you."

Would it be so bad? Yes it most certainly would, she decided. She ground her teeth just thinking about it. "This is just the drugs talking, it's not real."

"Maybe some of it but not all. If all of it was just due to the spice, why do I feel the same? The affects should have worn off hours ago," He asked. They had been alone for half a day, sleeping and trying to sort through their shame. But still she craved him. Not as crazy as before, but she was obsessed with feeling the warmth of his body. She had never felt anything like it. Even back in the cave when she had to share her warmth with others it was nothing compared to laying naked with him.

Rain realized he might be right. "Do you mean that. Or are you just saying that to lay with me again." She noticed he was already getting hard again.

"I could ask the same question," he looked at her. Her fluids were starting to make the sheet wet at the base of her legs and he could obviously see it. There was genuine kindness in his eyes. How could he feel the same way about me? She was dumbfounded, and awkwardly looked down at herself. Her dark skin covered in the white curse mark...who wouldn't be afraid of her?

"I don't understand, I've never felt this before, what did you do to me!" She started pulling at her hair. Fear took hold, she was afraid she was somehow being manipulated against her will and that she would lose this beautiful man at the same time. Were her decisions truly her own? Was she still being used? Why did she want to reject the possibility this could be real?

He gently put his hands on hers to stop her and he held her close. His skin was so scarred, all because of her...

"Maybe this is just an after effect of the spices, or maybe deep down there is something between us. Either way I won't let anything happen to you." he kissed her forehead gently. A tear strolled down her eye with the sudden kind gesture. Her eyes looked down to his crotch, he was still so eager for her. He must be fighting against his own desires.

"You did try to kill me the first moment you saw me," She said quietly. Rain put her forehead against his. He smelled of citrus and sweat. It wasn't a bad smell.

"The feeling was mutual, I'm sure as it is now?" He was right.

"We should probably get cleaned up, I must smell so bad," Rain hoped he didn't think she was trying to say he was the problem.

"We could always take another bath?"

"I don't think I could survive another bath with you, you nearly broke me." she wanted to add that there was no way of knowing if it had been spiced again...she was already worried about conception. Falling prey to the lust filled side of herself would only make such a fate certain.

"I'll be gentler next time, and I'll make sure nothings been added." He offered her his hand to stand from the bed. She accepted the offer, still holding on to the blanket.

"What makes you so sure there will be a next time?" She teased him, her tone with a hint of seduction.

He put his hand on her chin, his thumb against her lips. She loved how crazy his touch made her feel. "What makes you so sure there won't?"

He offered her a satin robe and even turned around to give her some privacy as she dropped the blankets. Like he hadn't seen everything already, she thought. When she was finished she shamefully could not stop staring at him as he clothed himself. He was right, it wasn't just the spices, she felt addicted to him. This man was so strange to her.

When they were clothed he opened the door for her, she was surprised there were no guards to meet her, "Ill let you clean up first, don't worry no one will interrupt you. And when your done some of your friends are...guests of my father..."

"Guests?" She couldn't help but notice the concern.

"There safe, but I fear there curse has been burdening them. It's a bad sign."

She had known her friends were losing their ability to control their magic. The curse was eating away at them. They weren't able to find a way to take control of it like she had. She worried about them greatly.

When the two parted Rain tackled with her emotions. No longer in the same room she could finally feel something other than desperate carnal desires. She felt hatred, shame, and even disgust. Both with herself and everyone else. she hated him, this Sir Tristan, the moment she stepped out of the room and was two steps down the hall that was the strongest feeling. She hated how the human made her feel, she hated that she was no longer a virgin. She felt disgusting! And yet...she couldn't stop thinking of him. It's as if he had implanted something within her. As much as she hated him...she wanted him?

She avoided the bath house, instead she stalked the empty halls until finding a private room at the very end of the hall. It was secluded and seemed hard to find. There were no furnishing, a private domain all to herself. The window revealed forests outline as the night was breaking. The rising sun faced the opposite direction casting a shadow over the trees as early dawn was casting an orange glow. She had never seen the woods from so high above. Her eyes drifted until they came upon a large collection of shadows at the tree lines only steps away from the beaten outer walls.

Hundreds, no thousands, of dark silhouettes lined up. They all seemed to be looking at her. She stepped away from the window, the air felt cold. A horn blew followed by drums within the keep. That seemed to please the cultists shadows as they grew in bulk and number. They didn't leave the tree line, instead they all placed something on the ground and backed away. But they were there, she could feel them. The markings burned against her skin, as if eager for the coming horde.

A voice entered the room, a quiet voice...one that was as distant as a dream. "Raaaaiiiinnnn." Cold sweat streamed down her face, she felt long fingers strolling down her back and tapping her shoulder, "It's time to let me in." She could see a mirror suddenly appear in the room. At the corner she saw her own reflection, and something looming behind her. The shadow was taller than she remembered, and broader. It's face was a faint faint outline with narrow and beady eyes.

Chapter end