AN: well, after receiving several requests, I figured that I should finish this. I always felt sort of bad for leaving the story unfinished, especially since I was on the last chapter. Considering that I wrote this years ago, my writing style has considerably changed and I am not happy with everything in the story, but rather than change things, I will simply go through, edit, and finish what I started. My sincere apologies to those who read this when it first came out, and also my thanks if you end up reading these updates.

Shadow Sorcerer

Danae almost leapt for joy when she saw him, standing in the deep shadows of the building. From what she saw of him, he had grown a bit taller, though not by very much. He was at least nineteen by now and had grown more muscular, although he was still very lean. He slouched with a kind of lazy grace against the building and was watching everyone. His dark hair had grown long, about shoulder length, but his calculating blue eyes were the same. And just in a quick instant, he was gone. The 13-year old princess of Elenia had blinked and he had misted away.

The princess sighed mournfully. Well, if he was going to be that way about it.

Flute walked around the corner and was most pleased to find her intended victim leaning up against another wall, waiting for her as if he knew she was coming. The goddess felt a smirk of satisfaction creep onto her lips. She skipped happily up to him and noticed that she was still quite short as compared to him. He eyed her with a calm, steady look, knowing immediately who she was. She did wonder why he didn't smile though.

She looked up into his face. "Hullo, Talen"

He glanced down at her. "Hello Aphrael. I figured you'd be coming along to see me pretty soon, so I decided to make it easy for you and stay in one spot."

The child-goddess pouted a little. "You knew I was coming? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Aphrael, only a moron wouldn't see that you and Danae are the same person."

The child goddess was stunned. How could he speak to her that way?! Why was he being so cold? He must just be kidding around. A couple kisses and he'd be happy again.

"Don't you love me anymore?" Flute let her lip tremble a bit to add dramatic flare. She never got much resistance when she asked that question. She waited for his answer, poised to spring into his arms and plant kisses all over his face.

Talen looked down at her, a wistful look in his eyes, but his face still hard. "No, Aphrael. Not that way. Not anymore. I've changed Aphrael. It might be better if you just give me up. I'm not the boy you loved anymore. I've changed."

Flute was in shock. She had not expected this at all. How could he not even love her anymore? Was it because of age? Because she was a little girl in his eyes, instead of a woman?

"Is it because of this body?" she said quickly. She then continued before he could object. "Oh, I can change it you know. Sparhawk says I'm quite pretty in my real form. Would you like to see?" Talen didn't have time to say anything before the goddess actually started to change in front of him. The dark alley was lit up by her light. She stood before him, beautiful and lacking cloths. Aphrael had never done that before. She had never changed in front of someone, not even Sparhawk. But she could feel Talen slipping from her fingers and she was desperately trying to grab onto him before he was completely lost.

His face was still blank, as his eyes slowly looked her up and down. He didn't even blush like everyone else did when they saw her like this. Never had Aphrael felt so naked.

He simply gave her a once over and looked elsewhere, disinterestedly. "Is this what you want?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, Aphrael. I don't want you to look like a full woman. I don't want pleasure in the way you're offering. I could easily get it elsewhere. Aphrael, let it drop. Let me go. I'm too far-gone already. You just need to accept that."

Aphrael felt tears well up in her eyes. What had gone wrong? She had planned this out so carefully, and for all her planning, she was losing him. She thought, when he had first left the Pandion Chapterhouse in the middle of the night, that he just needed a break. Maybe go back to stealing for a bit and then come back to her. He had been doing so well.

Talen had excelled in all his studies. He was an excellent swordsman, though he preferred the lighter saber of the Peloi to the Pandion broadsword. Even though he was small, he also did well in the hand-to hand-combat course that the Atana Mirtai taught. Under Kring's tutelage he was a master at equestrian and with his quick mind the Strycium arts came easily to him. He had surpassed his half-brothers easily, though they seemed to have gotten along fine. He had been on his way to becoming the new Champion. After all, Elahna couldn't have children, so Sparhawk didn't have an heir. That meant no Royal Champion by his family.

But then Talen had left; quietly, alone, in the dark of the night. She had been most upset when she had first heard about it, but later convinced herself that he just needed a break. He had been gone for two years now, but still the goddess had told herself that he would come back, he just needed time. And then she could marry him.

"Talen," her voice came through, tear-choked. "What happened?"

"What happened?" A tight smile gripped his face. "I opened up my mind. Did you ever ask Sparhawk what it was like when Bhelliom infused him with those powers?"

Aphrael was slow to answer. "He said it was like a locked part of his mind was let out. Why?"

"I've unlocked my mind."

Aphrael blinked before her voice came out sharp. "Talen that's impossible. You can't just do that; you need someone to push you. Don't be silly. Now tell me what really happened."

"I am, Aphrael. I opened up that part of me. Why do you think you've had such a hard time finding me? Because I'm not using Styric magic anymore. I'm not praying to you anymore." He laughed ruefully. "That must have given you such pleasure. Having your…..crush pray to you everyday. Didn't you notice when I stopped?"

"Well yes, but….."

"You were still busy meddling. Waiting for me to come back. God, how you've meddled with my life. Controlled it with your mind, shaping everything to your own ends. You're very selfish, you know. But I'm not your plaything anymore; I won't just bend to your will. I'm tired of being meddled with. I want my life back. I want to control my own destiny. I don't want to be played with by you gods who have nothing better to do. And what's happened, it's all your fault. You stuck your hands in where they didn't belong and it drove me to try and gain control of my life. Yes, Aphrael, I did love you, but I wanted to love you in my way, because I wanted to love you. Not because you twisted my mind and heart and feelings around. So I tried to break free. Just enough so that I could know that I loved by my own choice. And now, I have powers I never wanted.

"And I'm not going to give them up, I'm not sure I know how to. But they're what's keeping me in control of my life."

Tears were running down the goddess's face. She had lost him, and he was right, it was all her fault. "Oh Talen, I'm so sorry!" She wailed miserably.

His voice was cold and hard. "I'm sure. Sorry that I'm not yours anymore."

"No Talen, not for that…I—" She leapt forward and kissed him hard on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself against him.

It was like he was a corpse. Even the gods were susceptible to her kisses, but Talen did nothing. He didn't react at all. Talen wasn't a god, he was still human, but a human with unlimited power. All his will had gone into staying out of her reaches, and he was right, he was too far-gone.

"Aphrael, I'm leaving now. Don't come after me. Don't get involved with me anymore. Just give up." Talen turned and walked away, leaving the goddess to sit and cry in the dirt.