author's note: here's chapter 3! Please enjoy ;) things get a little steamy between Lily and Roze in this one!
Irys was practically standing in the saddle as her horse flew through the trees. She was fighting back sleep. Her vigor was slightly renewed when she saw Commander Ambrose's castle. She reached the gates and just when she tried to connect to Yelena's thoughts, two guards rushed up to her.
"State your business," one of them said demanding my, her hand on her sword.
"I'm Irys Jewelrose, Se-"
She was cut off by an all to familiar voice.
"Third Magician on the Sitian council."
Irys smirked and turned in her saddle to face the Commander's assassin and head of security.
"Actually Valek, I'm Second Magician now."
"Either way, what are you doing here," he asked.
"She's here to see me."
Irys smiled and jumped from the saddle, wrapping her friend and former pupil in a hug.
"It's good to see you again Yelena," the Second Magician said with a smile.
"Why don't you come inside Irys, you look exhausted."
Irys frowned.
"I wish I could, Yelena, but there's no time. I need you to come to Sitia with me immediately."
Yelena's smile vanished.
What's going on Irys, she asked mentally.
There's been an incident... Roze's glass prison has been broken.
All color drained from Yelena's face.
That's impossible," she said disbelievingly.
"It happened," Irys said with a strong yet tired voice.
Yelena focused and seconds later her horse Kiki came flying through the front gate.
"What's going on," Valek asked, clearly frustrated.
"I have to go, but I'll be back soon," Yelena gave him a passionate kiss as Irys jumped back onto Silk's back.
"Love, what's going on?"
"There's no time to explain," Irys said.
She clicked her tongue and kicked her heels hard into Silk's sides.
The former mentor and student pair shot down the trail, a sense of urgency about them.
"How," Yelena asked.
"We aren't sure yet. You and I are going straight to where the statute was being kept to see if you can pick anything up."
Yelena frowned.
"You don't think it was your sister do you?"
The Second Magician's grip tightened threateningly on the reigns.
"I don't know, but if she did then I'll get things back to the way they were, even if accomplishing that means killing her."
Yelena looked sadly at her former teacher and now dear friend. She expanded her mind and connected with Irys's thoughts. She felt guilty... If Nola broke Roze out... Irys felt like it was her fault. If she had just captured Nola that day then all this could have been avoided.
"Irys, this isn't your fault. We don't even know for sure that Nola did this."
"And what is it exactly that I did?"
Irys looked quickly to her left only to have a knee smash I to her face. She flew off her saddle and right into Yelena, knocking her from her saddle as well. They got to their feet as fast as thy could. Nola stood on a tree branch, leaning against the trunk, with her arms folded.
Irys and Yelena pulled threads from the power source and Irys launched a spell and Nola dodged it by dropping to hang from the branch and muttering a counter. Yelena tried to take hold of Nola's mind but something pushed her away. Nola swung from the branch and aimed a kick at Irys's head. Irys blocked it with her right forearm and landed a punch to her younger sister's stomach.
Yelena felt an energy emerge. Just as Irys was about to hit Nola with a burst of power that would knock her out, the Second Magician felt power slam into her back, throwing her forward. Her head slammed into a tree and the world went black...
Irys's eyes fluttered open and she saw Roze Featherstone standing above her wearing a cocky smirk.
"Irys did you miss me at all," Roze said.
Irys tried to open her mouth to speak, but before a word could get out, Roze's lips were on hers and pleasure was flooding her body. Roze pulled away slightly, smirking
"You really did miss me. Well don't you worry one bit, Master Jewelrose, you won't have to wait too long before I come back and in the meantime I'll never be far away..."
"Irys!"
Irys jerked awake to find Yelena shaking her. Yelena gently wiped the blood off Second Magician's face. Nola was nowhere to be found...
"Irys, are you alright," Yelena asked, a concerned gleam in her eyes.
"I'm fine," Irys lied.
Yelena frowned, knowing full well that her friend was lying, but she decided it would be better not to press.
"I felt Roze's spirit," Yelena muttered.
Irys stood shakily, choosing not to respond to Yelena's comment. She whistled long and loud for Silk while Yelena called for Kiki in her mind.
"Well now we know it was my sister, and we know Roze's spirit is with her," Irys said. "We have to get back to the Keep."
Xxx
Lily tossed and turned in her sleep, a dream weaving it's way through her mind...
She was lying in the plains near the Sandseed clan's lands. Her legs were spread eagle and her arms were extended out to her sides. Her eyes were glazed over and her mouth was slightly open. The gentle breeze blew the tall yellow weeds around her and blew loose strands of hair across her face. As her eyes closed she felt a weight on her waist. Her eyes slowly drifted open and she saw Roze Featherstone above her.
"R-Roze..." She rasped.
"Shh," Roze leaned down, her lips brushing gently across Lily's neck.
The former First Magician held Lily's hands above her head by her wrists. She ran her tongue up from Lily's collarbone, over her jugular, to her bottom lip.
Lily's emerald eyes had rolled back at this point and Roze's rogue slipped into Lily's mouth in a deep, pleasuring kiss. The young magician felt pleasure coursing through her body in waves.
"I'm going to teach you amazing things Lily Jewelrose," Roze hissed with a wicked smile.
"Will my mom be proud of me," Lily asked breathlessly, not completely realizing what was happening.
"She will, but most importantly, I'll be proud of you," Roze whispered on her ear seductively.
Lily moaned into Roze's mouth as they shared another deep kiss and Roze's hand slid down her pants.
Xxx
Irys and Yelena rode hard through the dark night, with nothing but the light of the moon to guide them. When they got close to the Keep, Irys sent Bain a mental message and he was waiting for them at the gate atop his horse. Irys reigned Silk to a stop and Yelena repeated the action with Kiki.
"What happened, Irys," Bain asked, noticing the cut on the Second Magician's forehead.
Irys opened her mouth to say something but her body went limp and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Her body started to fall sideways out of the saddle. Ulema vaulted from Kiki's saddle and caught her former mentor.
"She's exhausted," Yelena said with a frown.
Bain nodded, "Let's get her up to her tower, she's over done it."
Yelena carried Irys up to her bedroom and laid her down gently in the large bed. She gave a small smile.
It's just like Irys to push her body to the point where it literally gives out on her, Yelena thought.
Bain met her at the bottom of the stairs.
"So what exactly happened," he asked after they were seated in his office, each of them with a cup of tea in their hand.
"Irys's younger sister Nola attacked us. And Roze's spirit was with her, I sensed it," Yelena said darkly, her grip on her cup of tea so right her knuckles were white.
Bain have a deep frown, "So you think Nola broke Roze free?"
"Yes, I fully believe so. She was one of Roze's followers so it makes perfect sense."
After a long moment of thought spent in silence Bain said, "Tomorrow I want you to and Leif to go to where the statue was kept. With both of you there you're bound to discover something."
"Do you want Irys to come with us?"
"If she is rested enough, yes."
Yelena nodded and took her leave. As Liaison she had her own quarters in the Keep. When she reached her room she undressed and collapsed onto the bed.
Xxx
The next morning Yelena got dressed and went to get something to eat. Bain sat down next to her.
"Child, I don't want Irys going."
"Why," Yelena asked raising an eyebrow as she took a drink.
"She needs to rest. She's done too much in a short span. Second Magician is going to need her strength now more than ever."
Yelena nodded, agreeing.
"But, I have someone else I want you to take with you."
"Okay, who?"
"Lily Jewelrose. She's one of our students."
Yelena frowned, then cocked her head.
"Any relation to Irys other than being from the same clan," she asked as Bain walked away.
He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder.
"Yes, Lily is Irys's daughter."
Yelena blinked, startled. Irys had never said anything about having a daughter.
Xxx
Lily made her way down to the stables; she was on edge. When Bain had told her where she was going and why she had nearly pissed her pants.
Roze, is going back there really a good idea, Lily asked in her mind, pulling at the collar of her cloak.
It's not going to kill you. The Master Magician's ready suspect someone else. But while you're there you need to protect your thoughts. Yelena is very skilled at penetrating people's minds and her brother can basically sense peoples auras. If you've ever killed someone he can sense it.
What if-
Just block your thoughts like I've taught you. Think of it as your first test.
Lily mentally pictured being in the comfort of her mother's arms. Yelena had Kiki saddled when Lily got there. When Yelena saw Lily her jaw nearly dropped. This young girl looked almost identical to her mother.
"Liaison Zaltana, it's an honor to meet you," Lily said bowing.
Yelena bowed, returning to Sitian greeting.
"So you're Irys's daughter."
"Yes ma'am."
"Well if it isn't the strangler fig," a man said riding up.
Yelena grinned and they wrapped each other in a hug after he jumped from the saddle.
"It's good to see you too Leif," Yelena said.
Leif turned to Lily and bowed, "And how are you Lily?"
"I'm doing well, thank you Leif."
Silk was already saddled so Lily climbed up and moments later the three of them were riding to their destination.
Xxx
"Follow them Nola, keep a close eye on Lily. Make sure no harm comes to her."
"Why, what's the little brat to me," Nola asked jumping up onto her horse.
Roze's transparent figure stood next to her horse with her arms folded.
"Because she's the one that's going to help you. And on the other hand, she's your niece."
"Alright fine, I'll make sure nothing happens to her."
Nola rode off after them. Roze watched her ride off, then she looked up at Irys's tower. Just as she was going to head there she heard fast hoofbeats. When she looked in the direction they were coming from, she smiled. Not a wicked or evil smile, but a genuine, rare happy smile.
Zitora Cowan was riding towards the Citadel.
author's note: well, well, well look who's finally back :) what will Roze do to Zitora now that she's returned to the Keep? Keep watch for Chapter 4 and find out!