Once It Gets Dar

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Hi everybody :)

I put the list of German and Veril words in my profile for everybody who wants to refresh their memory and brush up on their vocabulary

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CHAPTER 10

The General was on top of me, holding me down, his forehead pressed against mine, his cock buried deep inside of me, twitching as he filled me with his seed. His eyes were closed in rapture, entirely lost in our union, while I was getting weaker and weaker as the dark energy left my body, draining me of my life force.

"Vo'ren?" I whimpered faintly.

"Anna," he purred softly, completely oblivious to the darkness swirling almost tenderly around his strong forearms, searching and caressing him as if it too were admiring his perfection.

Panicked I tried to summon my last bit of strength to fight down the shadows and haul them back in, but I didn't know how. I struggled, trying to get away from him, feebly kicking my legs, twisting against his massive body that kept me spread and pinned underneath him. It was impossible. The General was as solid and unmovable as a rock, and I felt myself getting shaky.

"Vo'ren," I sobbed, trying to squeeze his arms with my weak fingers, but my hands were slipping while the shadows kept flowing out of me.

I thought it was the desperation in my voice that finally yanked him out of his orgasmic bliss. He looked at me, and I saw his eyes snapping back from solid black to golden as he sobered up fast, searching for whatever had frightened me. To my surprise, when he beheld his darkness-shrouded forearms, he raised his eyebrows and laughed, loud, unguarded, and full of joy, his eyes sparkling as he looked down at me.

Everything was getting blurry, and I felt my field of vision narrowing. I moaned.

"Ch'ish!" he cursed, apparently just realizing that I was at the point of fainting.

My darkness was swirling wildly around us now, blocking out the blue light emanating from the water as if it wanted to envelop the two of us in a cocoon of pure night.

He grabbed my chin hard with his fingers, forcing me to focus on him, tethering me to reality with his intense gaze.

"Anna! It is just a little bit of magic. Relax. Find it and bring it under control." His voice went sharper, and his eyes narrowed. "Show it who is in command."

Holding on to my last strand of consciousness with all the strength I had left, I breathed in and forced my clenched insides to relax. I felt the whirling power, and instead of tightening against it like I had been trying to do, I let go, allowing it to flow, accepting it as a new part of my body, and slowly the rapid twisting calmed down into a soft billowing.

"Good, mishtz'in!" said the General calmly. "Now control it."

I tried, but I was too weak, and when I felt my grasp slipping, I tensed up again. Another wave of night erupted from my body, and with it went my last bit of energy. My lids fluttered, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

Like from far away, I heard the General curse again, and then there was a sharp stream of electricity burning through my arm, yanking me back. I screamed, and my eyes flew open. He had gripped my left wrist and pinned it into the grass next to my head, and I could feel him pushing his magic strong and hissing through the binding deep into that place in my chest where we were connected, and the darkness quivered as he seized it and held it in place.

"Now, sweetness," he snarled, fixing me so strongly with his black eyes that I didn't dare to faint again.

I breathed shakily against the pain while his magic inside me kept my darkness under control and allowed me to take the final step myself.

Relax

, I reminded myself. And again, I felt how this power was a part of myself. It was like learning to move a limb that I didn't know I possessed. Slowly, I managed to compact the searching tendrils in my core, making them lie down, forcing them to rest. The shadows around us disappeared like wisps of smoke, giving way to the blue shimmering light from the pond that seemed almost blindingly bright now, and I immediately felt my energy return.

I was gasping, still shaky, and close to tears. The scorching pain of his magic vanished, but he kept my arm gently pinned next to my head as he leaned down and placed a surprisingly tender kiss on my lips.

"Very good, mishtz'in," he whispered, and his eyes glinted with excitement. "Now summon it again."

"What?" I breathed out incredulously.

"Summon it again!" He was commanding me now.

I was too exhausted to fight against the strength of his will, and my mind obeyed almost automatically. I could feel the darkness clearly swimming inside of me. A strange new source of energy, but once it calmed, it seemed to have gotten lazy. I tried to stir it, but somehow I had forgotten how, so my new power just kept flowing through my blood, unimpressed by my intent to order it around.

"I can't." I swallowed and closed my eyes.

I was sure he was going to insist, force me to try again, but instead he nodded. The blue light of the pond was sending shimmering reflexes over him, bathing him in the light of his own magic. I inhaled in relief.

"We will practice another moment. You did good."

It felt comforting to be so close to him after what had just happened, and I wrapped my arm around his neck, seeking solace in him while I tried to leave the shock behind me.

He smiled down at me, and I felt my insides tingle a bit. His hair was still wet and even more tousled now than it had been in the water, and it made him look somehow younger, softer, and so handsome. I ran my fingers through it, acutely aware that I still lay underneath him and that he was still inside of me, stretching me even in his unaroused state, and it felt wonderful. I relished the peace that this nearness brought to my body, this respite from the constant pull I felt towards him. And gradually, while sinking into his golden eyes, I felt my heartbeat slow down again.

We lay like this for a moment longer; his hand was still on my wrist, caressing my mark gently with his thumb, soothing the renewed pain.

When my pulse was back to normal, he placed a soft kiss on my lips and slowly pulled out of me. I winced at the unwelcome feeling of separating from him. He stood up and gracefully stretched out a hand to me.

I took it, and he helped me to my feet in one swift movement that caused his seed to drip out of me and down my leg. My insides tingled, and I inhaled. I should have hated this reminder of what he was doing with me--that he was going to make me have his child. But somehow it felt so incredibly good to be filled with him, to know that his essence was deep inside my womb, right where it belonged.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a long and grateful kiss, pushing against his lips and enjoying the feeling of his warm skin on mine after he had just claimed me. My warrior, my General, my Vo'ren. My wrist hummed.

Be careful

, said a voice inside of me.

Don't forget who he is and what he has done.

I pulled away, and he looked at me with interest. A smile played around the corners of his mouth.

"Real magic," he said, twirling a strand of my wet hair around his index finger. "Is that not an interesting turn of events?"

"What is it?" I shivered despite the stuffy summer heat. This strange and permanent change of my being terrified me deep into my bones, more than anything that had happened to me in the last few nights.

"I do not know," he answered, still smiling, seemingly more amused than worried, and somehow the fact that he was so unfazed helped me calm a bit as well.

"Real magic, shadow magic, but not how it manifests with my kind. There are some among us who can call to the shadows, manipulate and absorb them, but you seem to be able to produce shadows out of yourself. In a way, it is the opposite of what Vik Ichel does."

My stomach clenched as I again remembered the sickening feeling of my life force leaving my body along with the darkness.

"Do not worry," he said, picking up his uniform. "It takes training and practice to master one's powers, and you will do just that. It would be a pity to leave such a precious gift unused."

At least the General seemed above all fascinated by the phenomenon; instead of being affronted that a lowly human had manifested abilities, the Veril believed to be reserved for themselves.

I didn't want to think about what he had meant with his last sentence, so I decided to make light of the situation, even though I didn't really feel like joking.

"Watch out, Shenik Tsul, or next time I might just use this precious gift against you as well as the new fighting skills I learned today."

He glanced over to me with one eyebrow raised as he got dressed, laughing at the absurdity of the thought that I might best him in anything. I picked up my pants as well, but then I hesitated. I was still somewhat traumatized from spending the last few nights filthy and practically naked, and didn't want to get my precious new uniform dirty again.

The grass tickled my naked feet when I stepped around him and into the water basin, dipping under completely in the deeper part. A primal part of me liked the idea of his sweat and seed on my skin and deep inside of me--a lingering memory of how we had been connected as one. But I also liked being clean, and I really wanted to avoid having to walk around covered in his drying body fluids again. And who knew when would be the next time I was granted the

generosity

of taking a bath?

My wrist stung even before I came to the surface, and when I left the water, I saw that I had pissed him off. He was towering above me, still naked from the waist up, his eyes narrow, and his muscles tense with annoyance. It was astonishing and, quite frankly, terrifying how fast he could switch from being almost sweet to absolutely terrifying. I had to fight the urge to dive back under water just to get away from him, but instead I fixed him with my gaze and stepped completely out of the pool onto the soft grass under the willow.

He pulled me close to him by my arm, careful not to touch my sore marks, but with an iron grip that made me wince, and snarled, "Is the idea of smelling like me so repulsive to you that you have to jump into water the instant I am not inside of you anymore?"

"No," I replied truthfully. "But I don't know when you will allow me to wash again."

He hissed, and I wasn't sure if it was a sound of annoyance or a new Veril curse I hadn't heard before. "Why do you have to defy me constantly? Have I not just told you that I will heed your demands for clothes and bathing?"

His fingers tightened a bit, and I also balled my hands into fists. He never explained anything to me but had the nerve to be annoyed when I misunderstood him. I had no idea what his plans for me were or what was going to happen to me. As far as I knew, tonight was an exception,

like he had told me

.

I glared at him. His beautiful face was mirroring the frustration I felt for him, and for a fraction of a second, we both stared at each other in anger, but then I breathed in

super nice, super sweet

, I reminded myself for what felt like the thousandth time.

"I'm sorry, Vo'ren. I don't want to disobey you; I really don't." I put the arm that was not caught in his grip around his shoulder, gently caressing the warm skin on the back of his neck. He let go of my wrist, and the tension around his beautiful eyes relaxed. This nice and sweet strategy was working pretty well so far, so I continued.

"I do think I can be happy in this new life, but you will need to help me a bit," I lied, playing with his hair, and my stomach twisted from guilt when I felt the mark in my wrist buzz faintly, even while his expression remained indifferent.

Why did I feel bad? He had done far,

far

worse things--to me and the world.

"Maybe if you could explain the rules, it would be easier for me to follow."

His eyes narrowed, and I wondered if I had taken the sweet and nice too far, but then he gently brushed his crooked index finger over my cheek and gave me one of those sharp-toothed smiles that made my insides melt.

In the distance, thunder rolled over the heated cement of the capital, and a gust of cool wind ruffled the grass around the pond.

The General looked over the water as if he could see the weather approaching in the distance. "Get dressed, mishtz'in, we will talk on the way to my tent."

I dried myself a bit with my shirt before I put on the uniform. It was astonishing how much better and more human I felt, finally clean and wearing real clothes. When I turned around, he was already dressed in his full gear and armor. Only his hair, still a bit unruly, was proof of us bathing and having sex earlier, and I had to resist running my hands through it again. He looked up and down my military attire, smiling mischievously when his eyes met mine.

"Let me see that salute again, young recruit."

I snickered and then did my best to remember the instructions he had given me earlier: heels together, arm parallel to the ground, and eyes on your superior. The last part was easy since I couldn't stop marveling at how stunning he was. Dark and imposing, a soldier, a commander, a defeater of worlds.

He stepped right in front of me and corrected the posture of my elbow a bit. I felt my whole body tingle under his touch and hoped he would kiss me just like last time.

"Good progress," he said, his eyes narrowing mirthfully. "I think you have earned a promotion."

I had to laugh, breaking the rigor of my pose. "For saluting?"

He put his hand on my butt pulled me against him, and gave it a squeeze.

With a suggestive smile, he said, "A field promotion for your extraordinary performance of duties while serving me tonight."

I chuckled, wondering how it was possible that he had me burning with desire again after just having been inside of me mere minutes ago.

The General looked at me expectantly, reached into his pocket with the hand that was not occupied on my behind, and pulled something out. He took one step away and placed it in my hands with an exaggeratedly dramatic bow.

Confused I looked at it. It was a beautifully woven leather belt with a sheathed knife gleaming like liquid silver.

"To celebrate your new rank."

His eyes sparkled with amusement as he saw my dumbfounded expression, and he explained, "After the binding, it is customary to give a gift to your new consort."

I looked at him wide-eyed, and he continued, "This dagger's name is Silver Hilt, and it comes from the same forge as Peace Bringer." He touched his finger to his own blade strapped to his side.

I was left speechless. To receive a present from the General, from Vo'ren, was what I would have least expected at the beginning of this strange night. Not able to believe my eyes, I ran my fingers over the hilt and sheath. They were made out of the same gleaming metal and engraved intricately with organic shapes of plants and leaves and a delicate figure of a woman adorning the handle.

I closed my fist around it, and my heart jumped at how perfectly it fit; it was like my hand had been incomplete before holding this knife. The blade gave an almost singing metallic sound when I pulled it out of its case.

What an incredibly beautiful weapon it was! The lower part was slightly curved, emulating the shape of the General's scimitar, but unlike its brother, my dagger was light and swift, like a wisp of wind. The solid metal was resting satisfyingly in my hand, shining like the reflection of the moon on the dark lake. It was magnificent suitable for a queen, and I was sure that I had never possessed anything as wondrous and valuable.

All words felt completely insufficient to express my gratitude, and I understood for the first time why the Veril didn't have a term for thank you. I bowed, and his eyes sparkled. I wanted to wrap my arms around the General's shoulders, but he swiftly seized my hand, which was still holding the dagger, and guided the blade back into its case in one fluid movement.

"Careful," he smiled, took the belt and strapped it snugly around my hips. "This is a real weapon, so we sheath it safely before we hug somebody."

He hooked his thumbs under my belt and pulled me against his solid body. I got up on my toes and kissed him.

"It's beautiful," I whispered against his mouth, and then I kissed him again.

"Like you," he said, his voice hoarse, and added. "Do not use it to cut my throat, kuchun."

"I can't promise that," I purred.

He chuckled and leaned down towards my lips, but we were interrupted by the thunder rumbling nearer this time.

The General stretched out his index and middle fingers, making a swiping gesture towards the pond, and the glowing light slowly faded until we stood in darkness again, only surrounded by the sounds of insects and the rustling of the plants in the wind.

"Let us go, mishtz'in."

He parted the hanging willow branches and ushered me forward to the path we had come from. His hand was still hooked under my belt, his strong body a comforting presence at my side as we passed through the swaying grass. I wanted to lean against him, but I knew that this peace between us would only be short-lived, was only an illusion, no matter how many beautiful presents he gave me or how often I promised obedience to him. So instead, I walked beside him in silence, my fingers caressing the hilt of the knife instead of his skin.

When the path made a curve, leaving the clearing and the pond behind and entering the wild trees swaying in the cold wind, I braced myself. "So could you please remind me of the rules again, Sheniktz'in? I'm currently a bit confused."

I didn't quite manage to keep the sharpness out of my voice when I addressed him by his title.

He let go of my waist and straightened. General Tsul, the Conqueror, about to give his commands.

For a while, it had been almost possible to pretend we were real lovers, taking a romantic stroll through the park, but now the tension rebuilding between us was nearly palpable.

The General's tone was detached and stern, and I knew that he would not allow any arguments from my side, no matter how little I liked what he had to say.

"Very well, mishtz'in. Firstly, you will practice once a night with Colonel Vik or any other trainer that I might designate for you. You will come to this pond to wash off their scent afterwards."

His eyebrows knitted together, and he looked like he regretted the concession he was about to make already before it had left his lips.

"You

may

also wash at other times if this is of such importance to you."

He was all tense, and I raised my eyebrows, making a mental note not to push the General's good will on this too much. For a brief moment, I wanted to touch him to make him relax. But he already continued.

"For clothing, you will be provided with three sets of night and day uniforms each. Just like my soldiers are."

I nodded so far; this didn't sound too bad. I was glad that I would at least have some activity to occupy myself with, and I was extremely grateful that he was not trying to put me in some type of sultry concubine outfit or anything of that kind.

"You will also start daily language lessons, and I expect you to apply yourself to them. I do not plan to keep on communicating like

this

forever." His face darkened as if the English language were an insult to his sensitive Veril ears.

I felt a spark of excitement. I was desperate to understand the people around me better, and language lessons actually sounded like real fun. Definitely more my type of fun than training. And then, of course, it would make it

a lot

easier to find out more inside information about the Veril and their plans.