Dark Hunger

Shock surged through her and stole her breath at what Elize just did. Her magic came out when pushed to the edge. Laurel could feel how raw and potent it was… and how dangerous it would become. She rose from the ground and attacked Elize once again with a snarl. She was about to lunge at Elize's upper body. Elize gave a light smile as she readied herself for the attack, but Laurel abruptly changed her tactic and swung low. She struck Elize on the outer thigh with the wooden sword. Elize's features became grim as she hopped to the side on the room with a yelp and with her hand holding the sword in a gesture to wait. Laurel was getting vicious, but Elize learnt her lesson. Never to assume an attacker's movement. She scowled as her face was flushed red with pain. There was so much pain in the strike from Laurel that Elize was sure she would never commit the mistake of trusting the opponent again. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve and blew a stray strand of her golden hair out of her eyes. She had learned that predictability was like a double-edged blade. But with Laurel things were different. It was like she was learning from the enemy.

Laurel was glaring at her with hatred, but with satisfaction of giving it back and that too very sharply. "This would be enough for the night," she said, specifically mentioning the word night. "It is going to be dawn—time for you to sleep." 

There was a soft knock on the door. Elize narrowed her eyes at Laurel and said, "Yes, it is time for me to take rest. let us continue this tonight!"

Laurel bowed to the queen and then opened the door. Auril was there. He strode in to find the entire room in a mess. "You have been working out a lot Elize," he said as if impressed by her. 

Elize placed her wooden stick on the table and shrugged. "Where is Caleb?" 

"He will be coming soon. He has asked you not to wait for him." 

"I see," she replied, feeling as if she missed him already. 

"When do we travel again?" she asked, going towards the bathroom for a nice long bath. 

"By evening," he replied and placed a large shopping bag on the sofa. "That is from your husband. "He loves spoiling you!" 

A smile tugged her lips up. Auril left and she sauntered in the bathroom. Her body had many purple marks and her jaws clenched when she remembered how Laurel attacked her. She just closed her eyes and let the anger pool in. When she came back and inspected the contents of the bag, a pale blush rose on her cheeks. There were several pieces of lingerie and even a red teddy. She took out a sapphire blue silk gown and wore it. Having worked out so much, it didn't take two minutes for her to fall asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. 

"Shit!" a loud voice woke her up. "Who the hell did that to you?" he snarled dangerously as he inspected her thigh. 

She fluttered open her eyes. "It's nothing, Caldy." She tried to tug her robe down, but he flipped her on her belly and then examined the mark on her back. His fists clenched tightly. 

"I will rip off the neck of that bitch!" he said and started going when Elize held him back. 

"No, I am having a good training with her. In fact, I insist that she trains me also apart from you." 

"Well, that is not happening!" he snapped, fury seizing his chest. 

"That is happening," she replied in a mulish way. 

Caleb clenched his jaws and simply placed his hand over her. Letting out a hard sigh, he leaned forward and limply placed his hand over her mark. His heart ached with despair and emotions choked his throat. His magic tingled on the tips of his fingers and it dropped in the form of blue mist over her bruises, sending cool, relaxing waves. Elize sighed under the comfort and closed her eyes as she sank her face in the pillow. She chuckled, "It is nice to have a sorcerer hubby." His chest caved in. Hubby… Then she said, "Aren't you prohibited from using magic in the human realm?" 

"Such small magic is usually not detected," he replied. 

Elize jerked open her eyes remembering her own magic that lashed out at Laurel. She stayed quiet about it. They spent the whole day lazily and by evening, they were back on the road. She chose to sit in the rear seat in order to cozy up with her husband. Her bruises had already healed to a great extent. 

Caleb had decided to take an hour's break because Elize was feeling extra energetic after she had been blooded by him. In order to dull her edge, she suggested sparring in the forest in a clearing. In fact, the idea of training in the open was so enticing that she couldn't wait. She wanted to see if her magic lashed out while sparring with him too. 

Auril swiveled the car to the edge and followed a dirt road inside. There he used his magic to clear a small space for the two love birds. Laurel leaned on the car and watched uncannily with her hands crossed across her chest while Auril sat on a log to cheer and whoop. 

--- 

In a cave deep inside the jungles near Fushire Forest

A demon knelt before a woman. 

The black feather robe she wore from neck to toe looked like her second skin. Her ivory horns were curled at the back and her thick midnight hair spilled over them till her waist. Her lips were deep ruby red set against her pale skin and emerald eyes. She was sitting on a gray throne that was carved from the stone of the cave. Right above the tall headrest was sitting an eagle with its wings tucked tightly. It was looking savagely at the demon. 

The demon's body was badly mangled with open flesh wounds on his shoulders, back and arms. He was in obvious pain but he restrained showing it on his face. "I went with my group to hunt her, but her sorcerer husband saved her. I was the only one left and I ran back to give you the news. Our leader was killed." 

"Why didn't you parthon the moment you had her?" she asked in a cold, distant voice. 

"We— we are not allowed to use magic—" 

"Silence!" she said in a voice that boomed in the cave. All the demons who were lined up against the walls quivered at that voice. The woman was none other than Arryn Aramaer, King Edyrm's daughter. When Edyrm had reduced to his feral form and turned into an eagle, he had flown away from Galahar to save his life. Arryn had followed him in her feral form which was of a raven. She knew that her father couldn't come back to his human form. He would need all the help and since she could transform back and forth into it, she schlepped along.. And since then, she had been responsible for managing all the rogue demons her father had planted everywhere in the Lore.