Magic Everywhere

The blood oath, binding for life, made in front of witnesses. Raina would never rest till she'd tracked down and killed all responsible.

"You'd disappeared. No one would talk." Her voice was still low as she continued the story. "In despair, we bribed the harem guards, bankrupted our clan. Finally, one talked. Revealed that you were not alone that evening in the harem. That the Mage King was there with you."

"Despair upon despair..." her voice intoned. "The magic was strong in you, even stronger perhaps in the Mage King. I did not have the strength to fulfil my blood oath."

He could imagine her wild, caged grief, as she sought a way out. A way to revenge her kinswoman, to fulfil the blood oath.

"I sought alliance." Her voice was flat.

Who had the power to challenge the Mage-Born of Argentia?

His unspoken question lay in the air. But there was only one answer. Only one force with enough power.

"Yes." She saw the awareness rise in his eyes, along with fear. "Yes. I sought the aid of the witches of Raan."

Salif's fear rose, instinctive. Even the Mage Prince of Argentia would not challenge the witches lightly. They were the one power above all power on his homeworld of Raan.

"With their help, I killed your father." Her voice was again expressionless. She knew what she revealed. Knew that she doubled her death sentence. She had killed Argentia royalty. A quick death would be a kindness.

Salif closed his eyes. He had always known his father needed to die. There was no pain, no grief. He hurt only for Raina, for the necessity that drove her to do this.

"How did you find me?" His voice was even.

"You let the magic in tonight when you played the drums of this world..."

He drew a sharp breath, still held immobile by her spell. If there had been magic in the music, it had been the very slightest amount, one beyond the ability of any Tracker to find.

"I am always attuned to you." She answered his unasked question. He could hear the tension in her voice. "I sent Leila to distract you... I could only move against you when you were weakened, when your essence mingled with hers..."

She looked at Leila for the first time, and Salif could see love in her eyes, hear the love in her voice. "You've done well, my little one."

"Thank you, mistress." There was gratitude and answering love in Leila's voice. Salif's eyes closed. Plots within plots, an Argentia speciality.

Raina straightened her shoulders, looked back at him. "And now, Salif. Death comes to you, as I fulfil my blood oath." Her voice was level, but Salif had known her better than anyone ever had. Beneath the flatness, there ran rivers of sorrow and anguish that she would have to kill the only man she had ever loved. He could hear the love beneath it all. She would kill him, of that he was certain. But she would also mourn him. The thought gave him odd satisfaction.

His mind had stayed shielded to her, the shield thrown up in automatic response to the warning bells. But now, as the moment of death approached, Salif smiled at Raina. His eyes gentle, accepting. Understanding her, understanding that she did what she had to do.

"Raina, my first and only love. I give to you a gift." he said. And he dropped his mind-shield, and made himself relive that terrible memory again, sending her that memory as a gift, so she might know and understand at last what had happened that evening at the harem.

The tears ran unchecked down her cheeks as she relived Katya's beating; watched Salif try to form the wards of protection; relived Salif's final gesture of mercy. Relived his anguish and self-loathing at what he had to do.

Salif looked into her eyes, unshielded. "You cannot judge me any worse than I judge myself." The words were clipped. The aching remained. "I was complicit in her death. I welcome your fulfilment of the blood oath." Ritual words, accepting responsibility, accepting her right to judge him.

She was shaking her head in utter denial. "No." A world of pain in that one small word. Her hands made a sparse movement; Salif was freed. She knelt by the bed and spoke, the words etched in formality.

"Mage King of Argentia. I give thanks for your mercy towards my kinswoman. You are not complicit in her death, I judge my blood oath fulfilled." There was an ancient magic shaping her words, the magic of the blood oath.

The magic must judge the truth of her words.

Both Salif and Raina's life hung in the balance as the magic swirled in the air, seeking motive and assigning responsibility. But finally, the magic quieted. Raina's words had been judged true; her blood oath fulfilled.

Mage King of Argentia, she had said. The thought rose in his mind.

I am Salif Al-Hasn. I am the Mage King of Argentia.

Salif straightened, rose off the bed. The dawn of a new era. Raina would need to be punished, of course. Her life was forfeit for the murder of his father, and besides, she couldn't go around using magic on Salif without consequences. Salif smiled in anticipation.

Perhaps Raina and Leila, tied together, and whipped? Their naked bodies rubbing on each other as they danced to the music of the whip, their bodies writhing over each other, mouths buried in each other's pussy? That would be entertaining indeed. His eyes gleamed at the mental image.

And then after, Raina would have to marry him, of course. It was the only way to save her life. That thought filled him with quiet joy. His Raina. Friend. Lover. Equal. Wife.

His mind was still unshielded, and Raina had always been able to read his thoughts. Her eyebrows had raised and her lips had twitched at his fantasy of whipping the girls. But her body had stilled as she'd read his next thought, yet Salif could feel the emotion rise in her heart. Relief, laughter, and above all, complete, steadfast love.

She bent and performed the triple obeisance, the proper homage due to the Mage King. She spoke, and her voice was clear.

"I am yours to command in all things, Mage King of Argentia."