Chapter 13
A/N: I'm going to be quite late to put this chapter up… I didn't intend for that to happen. I am so sorry!! I had this whole explanation typed out as an apology but then it took too much space and I'm sure you don't want to be reading that all right? It took like more than half a page. Anyway the short version, I was receiving my results that determine which university (college in other terms) I am able to get into. I got them through the mail today when I could've got it on the net yesterday but I was dreading it too much so I avoided using the net. So in short stuff happened that stopped me from completing this chapter and putting it up. Thank you for all the reviews! And I am sorry to have left the last chapter again at a cliffhanger and that it was so short. I'll endeavour to make this chapter a little more longer although as usual I am short on time and I must write today otherwise I'll get in trouble with all of you won't I? Enough with the blabbing to the thank you's:
She-Devil: Two new chapters? Did you really want that many? But I didn't have the time really… and you should be grateful that I'm doing one chapter per week (almost!)… it used to be that I would update every two months or so! I didn't really intend for the cliffhanger. I'm sorry! It just seemed a good place to end…
Nicole: I'll slowly reveal what the thing is between Deiniol and Numair but I love this fic and want to keep going… :)
Anonymous: Thank you!
kelsiface: I'm glad someone see why I had those cliffhangers. They're what keep people reading right? :) I can't guarantee no more cliffies though… they just come. All I do is decide where to end it and they just happened to be cliffies the last two chapters. Sorry it was short. I'll attempt to make this one longer…
veralidaine: I'm happy that you like this story! Thank you so much! I've been trying to update every week and it's worked so far so hopefully it'll continue to happen… fingers crossed right?
dolphingurl: sorry about being evil again and thank you for reading and reviewing!
Coley: you were away at Apollo Bay when I wrote chapter 10 and then everyone wanted me to write faster and I'm getting good feedback so I decided not to be cruel and leave them hanging for weeks and decrease the waiting period to a week although they're still a little angry that a week is still too long because of those 'accidental' cliffies I have… oops ;) It seems I always write chapters the day I'm supposed to put up chapters so it's too late for you to read them for me. Sorry! You could look at 'Outside Appearances' for me and maybe help me out, if you want?
Zoe: Here's the next chapter! And the answer to your question will be revealed soon… read on and you'll see. Though it mightn't be in this chapter… it depends what I write today :)
Keita: Thank you! :)
jenn: awww… thank you! You're the only person here that complimented me on my cliffhanger! :) I hope I didn't leave you hanging too long…
Suteki Da Ne: I'm happy that you love this! Writing this and having people read and even like it is one of the reasons why I love writing so much. Thank you! :)
Mage Kitty: isn't it scary when you begin to see similarities between yourself and your parentals? :) I'm crazy too so we'll be crazy together shall we?
jazy716: Thank you and I am really sorry to have taken as long as I have to upload this chapter.
Reviewer: there is a reason as to why Varice is acting as evil as she is… but I won't give too much away and the impression I had from her was that she was a snob – but I guess that also stems from the fact that I disliked the way she acted towards Daine and Numair in Emperor Mage. Thank you, I'm glad you're liking what I write. And I do apologise for having the previous chapter so short. I do try to make update as quick as I can (a week) but this week is the exception. Sorry! :)
Remember what I've said about typos… I don't have a proofreader – well I do (Coley) but when I write these chapters it's usually too late for her to look over it. Unless you're all willing to wait a couple days more for the chapter…? I didn't think so :) But I do apologise for the errors, I do reread it after I'm done but I sometimes miss out stuff. Please read and review! Thank you! And you should read my 'Outside Appearances' fic… it's not D/N though… Sorry about the length of my A/N's but I thought I should thank you all for your kind comments… ok sorry! I'll write now.
Disclaimer: it's too hot to go over old ground. You know the drill don't you? Unless you're new. Seriously I hate putting the same old thing here again and again. I. Do. NOT. Own. Anything. You. Recognise. Tamora Pierce owns them… isn't it every TP fan to own these books, these places, these characters? Everything else is mine and if you take them… I won't write anymore! :P
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"Daine?" He found Daine slumped against the sofa that resided in his rooms. Before he had spoken she had sat there her eyes thoughtful, brows drawn together and she was nibbling her thumbnail but now she looked up at him. "Where'd you go?"
"I thought it better to wait for you here in case I was seen…" Again she looked thoughtful, her eyes unfocused. The slight crinkling on the side of her eyes as she thought and the way she bit her lip made him smile. He reached over and brushed a smoky brown tendril of hair behind her ear away from her face. He stroked her face lovingly and then was kissing her softly. Daine was startled when he suddenly kissed her but soon relaxed and let the flow of emotion flow through her and allowed him to kiss her freely this time and not feel the need to draw back except for what she had been thinking about but now that seemed very far away. Now she was caught up in his hold on her. It was as though his kissing her, his hands cupping her face were pouring fire through her veins making her feel more alive than she ever had in her whole life. She kissed him back moving closer wanting to feel closer to her and slid her arms around his waist pulling him closer to her. It was wonderful not to have to pull back to rein her emotions back, to just be free to feel and allow him to kiss. And they continued to kiss for long moments. But finally she had to break the kiss when the stray thought blew into her cloudy mind. She hadn't wanted to grasp that thought that would mean stopping this blissful moment but she knew they would have much more time. Right now she had to talk to him.
She pulled back, breaking the kiss but not so far as to pull out of his hold on her. Her eyes were half closed and she was breathless and from his chest against hers she knew he was breathless too. He was touching her face now, her eyelids, the curve of her nose, her full lips… and trailing feathery kisses. She almost gave in again wanting more of his love, his kisses but she willed herself to make him stop. She put her hands against his chest, a flimsy barrier against him because she didn't want to ward him off but knew that for now it was necessary if they were to talk. "Deiniol, please," she looked up at him and hearing the seriousness of her tone stopped his kiss but did not let go of her.
"What is it?" he said huskily, kissing her quickly on the lips one more time.
She led him to the sofa and they sat facing one another hands clasped, knees touching. "We need to talk… about you, me… and Numair… I know nothing of you. Will you… tell me everything about you? Why you're here?"
When he hesitated she looked away. "There's something wrong… and I want to help. If we're to be… you know… then don't you think I have a right to know at least?"
He didn't get to reply even if he had intended to because a knock interrupted their conversation. He looked apologetically at her but she smiled and he went to open the door.
"M'Lord," the servant greeted bowing at the door entrance. "A letter for you." Peering into the room he glimpsed the brunette. "To be read privately," he added, flicking his eyes at her. Seeing the questioning look and probably the look of disagreement on Deiniol's face the servant leaned closer to whisper, "Please, m'lord. The sender was very specific about this." Straightening he raised his voice to the normal level. "And the mistress requests that Lady Daine come to her study." With that he bowed and left before Deiniol could say anything. Daine was beside him now and she smiled at him.
"I better go and see what Alanna wants to talk about. I'm wagering it's about you. After you've read the letter," she indicated the white envelope, "come to the study. You'll need to speak to them eventually if you do want to stay. Please." He looked into those blue-grey eyes he loved and touched her cheek gently and nodded. She turned her face into his palm, kissing it and touched his other hand.
After she had left he turned and tore open the letter. Delicately written in what could only come as taunting from the sender he read:
"Arram,
If you don't come to me… you'll only end up hurting yourself. But wait I remember now, you don't care what I do to you and so I'll hurt your precious beloved. I'll make you regret refusing me."
It was strange as he read the letter because he had a sense of déjà vu though how that was possible seemed crazy. He'd never been in such circumstances… had he? At that thought it seemed he had one of those head rushes that came from rising too quickly after lying down and then the world seeming to turn black. He swayed on the spot and in the blackness misty pictures floated into his vision but he could not make them out… and when his eyes cleared finally his head was heavy like a headache but not quite. But Deiniol could not ponder about what was wrong with him. He had to stop Varice before she did anything. Never before would he have ever thought her to be vicious or manipulative but that was before Daine and before he began to see other sides to Varice. He left his rooms hurriedly trying to ignore the heaviness in his head…
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Daine knocked on the dark oak door of the Lioness's study and waited patiently for her friend's voice to admit her. After several more moments, a puzzled look upon her tanned face she rapped the door again louder this time. When again there was no reply she took the round handle in her hand and turned it and found it was unlocked. Pushing the door gently she peered in to find the room in complete darkness.
"Alanna?" she called and was struck by the way the room echoed. From memory she knew the room to be small and comfortable and should not have made her call echo. Throwing off the sense of something not quite right… she crept into the room deciding to await her friend to arrive. Taking a few careful steps so as not to bump into anything her hands felt the cool surface of wood and searched for the candle to lit it. Sighing in frustration she concentrated and in moments her eyes were that of a cat. It seemed that in her using her powers whatever that was not quite right in the room sensed her presence the same time she did. The ground lurched and rolled and before her appeared an arch and a pool of oozing, dripping muck, the changing colours causing her to become dizzy. Like the changing colours the face did the same morphing to different things with no stop – actually the whole of it was not still. The face, the eyes, the shape; all of it. It was vague, not coming into focus but it was not just the fact that it was changing constantly. It was as though the creature was not really there… but was there. Daine shrieked at the familiarity of it and stumbled back but there was no escaping the creature now for shiny dark bars dropped around her and she was caged.
"You will now both die…" the creature rasped, its voice distant and then Daine was unconscious blackness enveloping her completely.
All over the fortress the cats, dogs, mice, horses… all collapsed. Their connection with the wildmage and what had occurred to her mind and inner being had had an echoing affect on the animals in close range. Except Kitten who had been asleep in Daine's bed. Now she woke suddenly and turned a black metallic colour unlike any other colour she had turned before. Unlike Daine she could reach for her friend's mind but for some reason it seemed she had disappeared… as though she were almost dead.
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"So, Arram. I'm hoping for the sake of your beloved Daine that you will reconsider staying here," Varice said hearing him fling the door open of her rooms. She smiled up at him a glint in her eye.
"You will not harm her, do you hear? I swear by the Great Mother Goddess if you…"
"You're in no position to threaten me!" she snarled. "How could you do this to me? You leave me for this little slut when you agreed to come back home with me, Arram." She inhaled deeply and in a calmer tone she said, "You know you brought this on yourself. It's not as though I gave you plenty of opportunities to avoid the harm of your beloved." She sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately you had to be defiant against me and my Queen, didn't you? You couldn't leave things the way they were. It seems no matter what, you will always have her in your heart." She flicked her hands to the corner of the room and the air shimmered and then appeared a large cage containing a figure.
But his eyes didn't stay on that instead he noticed the shining pendant that was attached to Varice's thick gold chain necklace. It was red and it seemed a dark smaller circle was in the bigger circle giving him the image of an eye. How he did not notice it before was strange because the pendant seemed to absorb the light instead of reflecting it and it would fit neatly into the palm of a hand. Now it rested in the hollow of her neck and made her look as though she had three eyes. Deiniol attempted to pull his gaze away from the pendant but he could not. Instead it seemed he was falling into the depths of it. He could no longer tear his eyes away to watch the large cage come into focus or who the figure was. He was drowning in red… blood… and he couldn't stop. He thought of Daine one last time and feel unconscious in the blood that was completely flooded his body, his eyes….
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A/N: I'm stopping here… and I am so sorry!! But to make up for this very, very short chapter I will have the next chapter up in the next few days (Or even later!). And to make up for taking about two weeks to get this extremely disappointingly short chapter up! Sorry! This is drawing to an end soon I think… but well you'll see what happens next. I won't predict how many more chapters I have left because all the other times I have tried to predict it's always gone over. Anyway, review please and don't be too angry with me please!
