CHAPTER 8
Riley woke to the hiss and crackle of a bonfire. Looking down the beach, she saw emerald green flames leaping into the inky sky. Total darkness wrapped itself around the island, no stars twinkled in the sky, and no moon lit the way to the meeting place, only the eerie green fire disturbed the darkness. As she approached, she heard strange chanting sounds, and as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, she saw 8 robed figures encircling the fire. She felt a presence behind her, and turned to find a hooded figure, looking at her with gleaming amber eyes. Stifling a gasp, she took the hand he held out and allowed him to lead her to the circle. As they both sat, the chanting stopped, and an expectant silence took its place. It seemed as if the silence would last forever. Restless and a little freaked out, Riley was on the verge of speaking, when she felt Cole’s fingers digging into her arm. Wrenching her arm away, she turned towards him, and almost missed the flash that appeared in the fire.
A tall, hooded figure shimmered within the fire, its arms raised to the sky. Its hood fell back, revealing long white hair floating around a beautiful pale face. She smiled, revealing sharp, white teeth and said in a musical voice “Why have you summoned me? I was busy dreaming, creating worlds within worlds.”
“We need your wise counsel, Diara. Avalyss is on the verge of an epic battle, we seek your help to stop it from happening.” Cole spoke, his tone respectful and humble.
Diara looked at Cole, her steel grey eyes glowing in the darkness. “I cannot help you.”
“Please, Diara,” another voice spoke up, “we believe that Cole is right. The epic battle between the Light Bringers and the Dark Mages will destroy Avalyss. We cannot sit idly by and allow it to happen. What purpose will it serve?”
“Are you forgetting that there are two sides to this battle? What of the Princess of Light? What is her position?”
Unable to speak, Riley could only sit and stare. Who was this Diara? She looked like a woman but she was no mere human, Riley was sure of it. Suddenly, she became aware that everyone was looking at her. She felt Cole’s fingers squeezing hers and realized that they were still holding hands, a flash of pleasure arced through her.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I agree that this battle should not take place.”
Diara’s grey eyes bored into Riley’s. “Princess, it is a pleasure to meet you, at last. So you are siding with Cole? Do you ever wonder what dark arts he has employed to get your agreement?”
“No dark arts, it just makes sense.”
“Ah, Princess, you should know by now that the Universe rarely makes sense to mere mortals. It operates in its own way, within its own laws. Perhaps time has run out for Avalyss. Why not accept your destiny with grace and dignity?”
“What is dignified about accepting defeat? Why should so many lives be sacrificed, including Cole’s and mine? What purpose will it serve?”
“Ah, I have heard about your fire, Princess. Maybe you are the one who has ensorcelled Cole? “
“Nonsense, we are trying to save our world. Help us or not but don’t stand there spewing drivel.”
Shocked gasps filled the air and Cole’s fingers tightened against hers. Diara stared at her for a long moment, then she threw back her head and laughed, a rich, booming sound that echoed along the beach.
“I like your Princess of Light, Cole. Very well, I will help you. But there are beings more powerful than I am, and they want the battle to take place. The only way to stop the battle is for Cole to become a Prince of Light or for you, Princess, to become a Dark Mage. Which will it be? ”
“The Princess will become a Dark Mage,” the robed figures huddled around the fire, chorused in unison.
“No!” Riley cried. “There must be another way. Why can’t both the Light Bringers and the Dark Mages rule Avalyss together? Why must it be one or the other?”
Silence greeted her speech. Then muttering sounds in a language she did not understand. Cole withdrew his hand from hers. “I assumed that you would side with the Dark Mages.”
“Why? I never assumed that you would join the Light Bringers. Can’t you see that Balance is the only solution?”
“Bright as well as beautiful. The Light Bringers have chosen their champion well but maybe too well,” Diara said. “Princess, your proposal is a difficult one. You will have to convince both the Dark Mages and the Light Bringers and this will be no easy task. But, perhaps, the most important person you have to convince is Cole.”
Cole’s amber eyes were flat and hard, “It is late. We will continue this discussion tomorrow.” He disappeared and so did all the other black robed figures. Only Riley and Diara remained around the bright green fire.
“Be careful Princess, Cole will try to change your mind. He wants to win and he wants you. To him the only solution is for you to join the Dark Mages. He will not back down without a fight. Be prepared and be strong. And, remember, always follow your heart. It will not lead you astray.” A blinding flash rent the night sky and Diara was gone. With a sputter the green fire suddenly died. Only Riley remained, a slight figure shrouded in darkness.
Riley awoke to the sound of waves crashing along the shore. Her eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep. It had taken her a long time to fall asleep because her mind kept spinning in circles. Giant waves pounded the shore, the wind whipping the ocean into a frothy, seething mass. Storm clouds scuttled across the grey sky and the air felt hot and sticky. As she walked towards the water’s edge Riley mused that the angry ocean mirrored her inner turmoil. She had no idea what to do next. Cole was stubbornly set on her becoming a Dark Mage. That was the wrong path for her. Her feelings for Cole also added to her confusion. She could not deny the physical attraction between them. She only had to look at him, and her body hungered for his. Only in his arms did she become achingly alive.
Almost as if her thoughts had summoned him, she saw Cole sitting on the beach a few feet in front of her. With his windblown honey hair streaming behind him, and dressed only in pair of faded jeans, he looked like a sexy, shipwrecked pirate. Her mouth suddenly became dry and she her heart thundered in her chest. He looked up, trapping her in his amber gaze. She felt herself falling into darkness, summoning every ounce of will power she possessed, she managed to tear her eyes away from his, breaking the spell.
Dizzy from the effort, she sank to the sand. “What the hell was that? Were you trying to ensorcell me?”
Masking his surprise at the strength she had shown in breaking the enchantment, he drawled, “No. I think that you are the one who has ensorcelled me.” When she said nothing, he turned to look at her, studying her profile, her cute upturned nose, generous mouth, flawless bronze complexion, straight midnight black hair flying in the wind. His breath caught in his throat as her lush beauty assaulted all his senses but she was not destined to be his. He was determined to thwart destiny with or without her help. “We both agree that an epic battle is not the answer,” he began. “What are your objections to joining the Dark Mages? With our combined power, you and I could accomplish great things.”
Staring straight ahead, Riley huffed. “Why not join the Light Bringers? Together we could accomplish great things.”
Cole sighed in frustration. “Touché. But a Dark Mage could never become a Light Bringer. It is an unwritten rule in our world. A Light Bringer, however, can choose to join us. It has been done before.”
Riley stood, stretched her legs. “Why must we choose? Why can’t the Dark Mages and the Light Bringers join forces?” She turned towards him, eyes pleading. “That is the only way to stop the battle.”
“The time of the Dark Mages is at hand. We have waited centuries to rule. You don’t know what it has been like for us, banished to the Dark Tower, reviled and barely tolerated. It is our turn to rule Avalyss.”
“Sitting there, spouting canned rhetoric, you sound like some kind of fanatic. You are an intelligent man. Use your brain
to think outside the box, outside the future that others have mapped out for you. You asked me to choose a different path, now I am asking you the same thing.”
Surging to his feet, Cole grabbed her, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her arms. “How dare you imply that I am some sort of puppet? I am the Lord of the Dark Mages and destined to rule Avalyss when I defeat you. I will fulfill that destiny.”
Lowering his head, he crushed his lips against hers, forcing his tongue into her mouth, punishing, devouring, staking his claim. Shocked, Riley tried to push him away, but that only caused him to pull her tight against him. As she continued to struggle, they fell to the ground with Cole landing on top of her. His lips burned a fiery trail from her lips to her breasts. Riley’s need rose to meet his. Losing the battle for control, her fingers raked his bare back as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and twined her fingers in his hair. His mouth scorched not only her skin but her very soul. Her heart shuddered and surrendered to him willingly. Love and passion overrode her and all she knew was him. Mad with desire, they rode the wave of pleasure together. A wild scream burst from her throat and she collapsed against his chest. He held her close and gently kissed her hair. Riley’s heart ached. Destiny had set her on collision course with the one man, the only man she could ever love. She pressed her lips against his neck, inhaling his scent. Relaxed, she stretched like a cat, her body fluid and boneless. She had never before felt such physical bliss. Past lovers had never fit her so perfectly before. It was almost like he was custom designed for her, and she for him.
Riley woke in Cole’s arms, her midnight hair spread across his chest, their limbs entwined. Untangling herself, she stood and looked at him. His handsome face, innocent in repose, wore a soft smile. Tearing her eyes away, she walked towards the ocean. The wind had died, and the waves no longer roared but whispered against the shore. Dipping her toes into the water, and finding it warm, she plunged in and began to swim. She struggled with her feelings for him. Did she really fall in love mid coitus? Of all the stupid things she had ever done, this was the mother ship! He had made it clear that he wanted to rule Avalyss. She could not let that happen. Swimming faster, pushing her body to the verge of collapse, she tried to dispel the jumble of thoughts in her head but they continued to tumble round and round.
Exhausted, both physically and mentally, she pulled herself out of the water and collapsed on the beach. A shadow appeared over her, honey hair tumbling over his shoulders, his face in shadow. Smiling, she held out a hand to Cole, but he remained motionless, his eyes moving slowly over her naked body. Suddenly he was on her, his mouth everywhere at once, wet and hot against her breasts, lips grinding into hers, tongue pushing into her mouth. Shocked by the sudden assault, Riley tried to push him away. Her entire body shuddered with revulsion. Suddenly, his weight shifted off her. Leaping up, she saw two figures rolling on the sand, both with honey blond hair. Crane, she thought, it was Crane who had been on her. Cole must have woken up, seen what was going on and pulled him off her. Helpless she watched as the brothers wrestled. Crane managed to straddle Cole, punching him repeatedly. Cole wrapped his legs around Crane’s neck, flipped him, grabbing him by his hair, ground his face in the sand, then pulled him to his knees.
“If you ever lay a hand on her again, I will kill you. Now apologize to Riley,” he growled
Crane, pale blue eyes defiant and full of hate, spat out a mouthful of sand. “Why should I apologize for claiming what is mine? I am destined to be her mate. She should be apologizing to me for being such a shameless hussy. Just look at her standing there stark naked.”
At his words, Riley’s body was instantly covered with jeans and a T-shirt. Cole yanked Crane to his feet, a murderous gleam in his eyes. For one moment, time stood still before exploding with sound, light and a flurry of movement.
Figures clad in both white and black robes floated above the beach, a black furry body hurled itself at Riley, knocking her to the soft sand.
Riley hugged the trembling body. “Max! I am so glad to see you.”
No one else spoke. Cole still held Crane by the hair, his expression stony, his amber eyes blazing. Crane’s face quivered, pale blue eyes bright with fear. Another explosion, and all the black robed figures along with Cole vanished. One of the white robes approached Riley, “Princess, are you unharmed?” She recognized him as Elder Murrin, a member of the Higher Echelon, the one who had banished Toom.
“Yes,’ Riley met his eyes. “Thanks to Cole. He stopped Crane from raping me.”
A shocked gasp echoed from the group of white robed figures. Murrin’s eyes, a flat mud brown, glowed with anger and disapproval. “With all due respect, Princess, you have been under Cole’s influence for many days. Don’t you mean that Crane saved you from Cole?”
Shoving Max off her, she pushed to her feet. “With all due respect, Elder Murrin, I am in complete control of all my faculties. Cole did not harm me. But Crane attempted to. I demand that he be punished to the full extent of whatever passes for law in Avalyss.”
Silence greeted her words. Murrin bowed stiffly. “We will hold an emergency meeting of the Higher Echelon, Princess, to rule on this matter.” Another loud explosion, and this time Crane and all the white robed figures vanished.