Stardust Ch. 03

It was a mistake.

Leif's hated voice broke the spell the comforting bath had woven around her.

"Alas, a moment alone with my dreadful cousin nowhere around to smother you."

Tyler froze. She instinctively knew that Thora's earlier threat was now coming to fruition.

She sank deeper into the bath, trying to hide her nudity.

In horrified silence, she watched as Thora walked into the room and closed the door. She stood in front of it, arms crossed. The look on her face couldn't possibly be any smugger.

"She is not so mighty now without her Lord Brand here, is she?" Thora asked.

"No. I cannot say she is," Leif responded, the amusement in his voice evident.

How was she going to get out of this? Tyler wondered.

"Get out of the water. I would gaze upon the form that has made Brand so much more boorish than usual. Surely you realize the effect you have on the oaf," Leif said.

Tyler gritted her teeth. Of course she didn't want to show this asshole her glory, but she had bigger problems than her modesty right now. She was sure Leif had no intentions of only looking with no touching.

She had to keep her wits about her if she wanted to make it out of this unharmed. Slowly, she stood; the water glistening off her naked body.

Immediately Leif felt his cock harden.

She was even more beautiful than he had imagined. He understood why Brand had not hesitated to claim the woman; but tonight, she would belong to Leif. Tonight, he would do all the things to her that Brand could not.

Tyler cautiously stepped out of the tub and walked backward as Leif stalked her. When she had nowhere else to go, she stood with her back pressed against the wall.

Leif's eyes shown unnaturally, no doubt he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt before he devoured her.

Tyler wasn't sure if he intended to rape her first or just kill her. But what she did know was he definitely intended to harm her in some way.

His words belied her thoughts. Leif's pale hand cupped her cheek; his right thumb slowly traced the outline of her full lips.

She recoiled from his touch.

"You know, darling, I have wanted you from the very beginning. This smooth, warm skin...I have longed to caress it. This curling, silken hair...I have wanted to plunge my hands into it. These wondrous, plump lips...I have dreamed of kissing them. And these," he said, grabbing Tyler's breasts.

"These heavy titties...I have needed to suck them. And this extraordinary pussy...how I have imagined fucking it," he growled. Leif's hand grabbed at Tyler's womanhood, and only paused in its quest when she slapped him in the face.

For a moment, neither one of them moved. Tyler watched anxiously, wondering what he would do to her. He rubbed the reddening spot where Tyler had hit him and smiled wickedly.

When he backhanded her across the face in return, his cock swelled even more.

"Oh, yes, sweetness. I shall enjoy riding Brand's lovely cunt," he groaned as he ground his body into Tyler's.

She felt sick but refused to cry. She would not allow this skinny bastard to rape her...come hell or high water she would scratch his eyes out first.

"Enough of this talk," Thora growled. She shook with rage and jealousy over the display Leif made over Brand's bitch.

"Be done with it...give her what she deserves!"

Tyler glared at Thora and would've charged at her if she didn't have to worry about Leif.

"Yes, my dear. By all means, I will give her everything she deserves," he replied.

When he bent to take one of Tyler's nipples into his mouth, she thought she would vomit right there all over him. Actually, she should have. It would certainly keep him at bay.

Leif roughly grabbed her hand and brought it to his crotch. "Squeeze it," he urged, thickly. He was already in the deep throes of passion.

Tyler refused.

She allowed her hands to drop limply at her sides and was taken completely unawares when he cuffed her on the side of her head.

Unfortunately for Tyler, she had no idea she was playing into one of Leif's sexual fantasies. He loved to dominate and when his lovers were disobedient, it drove him mad, sexually. It allowed him to be aggressive which, was a turn on.

Nothing hardened his dick more quickly than hurting someone.

Abruptly, Leif licked Tyler from the base of her neck to her ear. She shuddered with repulsion.

"I would have you suck my dick, but we will have time for that anon. Now, I must bury my cock in your dark pussy," he growled.

At that, Tyler went ballistic. She swung, punched slapped and clawed at Leif with the vehemence of a banshee. He really didn't know how to handle her...on the one hand he was livid and wanted to kill her for the blows to his face.

But the way she fought back...even now his long, thin rod saluted her.

When Tyler began to scream was when all hell broke loose. Thora rushed her and tried unsuccessfully to quiet the shorter woman. The two ended up rolling around on the floor which gave Leif immense pleasure.

Thora was on top of Tyler and had her arms pinned above her head. Just when Tyler didn't think she could be more horrified, the blonde harpy kept one hand on Tyler's wrists and slid the other down her body.

With narrowed eyes, Thora watched Tyler and squeezed her puckering nipple.

This was really too much. To make matters worse, Tyler's body began to react to the bitch's touch.

Meanwhile, Leif sat on the bed with his cock in his hand. The picture of the two women together was almost more than he could bear...his manhood now ached to be inside of a warm, tight pussy.

Just when Tyler thought she would become Thora and Leif's sex toy, the door shot open with a bang against the wall.

Blessedly, Svala stood there...with a bow and arrow no less. If the situation wasn't so serious, Tyler would've laughed.

"Tyler, I felt that you were in harm's way...but I have been wrong on occasion. If you wish me to leave, I will of course do so."

Uncertainty was written all over Svala's face.

Was she crazy?! Tyler thought.

"Svala, if you leave me here like this I'll smother you in your sleep!" Tyler wailed.

It was enough for her friend.

"You heard her. I've sent for the guard so I suggest you let her up, Lady Thora and allow her to dress. And you, Leif. I will not waste words. Cover yourself...and make haste."

Tyler expected the two perverts to laugh at Svala's bluff. But to her surprise, they hurriedly complied. Even more surprising, Svala had not been bluffing at all. Grim and Berg arrived just as Tyler wrapped furs around herself.

If they thought anything peculiar, neither one of them let on. They simply grabbed Thora and Leif and shoved them out the door.

"Where are they taking them?" Tyler asked.

"To the dungeon. Neither is aware that Brand knows of their deceit. They will remain blissfully unaware until his return," Svala explained.

All of a sudden, Tyler dropped down on the bed with her face in her hands. She had very nearly been raped and molested by a man AND a woman!

Svala walked to her and took her friend into her arms. She offered all the support she possibly could.

"Svala, what would I have done if you hadn't come along?" Tyler screeched.

"There, there. We will not think on such things. I did come along...we will only focus on that."

Abruptly, the events of the last few hours overtook Tyler and she ran to the garderobe. There, she emptied all the contents of her stomach. When she was done, she walked back into the chambers and dropped the furs.

"Forgive me, Svala, but I need to get his smell and the feel of his hands off my body."

"No need to apologize. If you need me, I will be right across the hall," she said as she left the room.

"Svala," Tyler called.

She stopped and turned back to Tyler.

"Thank you so much...for everything. You're the closest friend I've had in this world and my own. I love you," Tyler said quietly.

Svala's eyes brimmed with tears. "And I you," she whispered sadly, and walked out the door.

Tyler feverishly scrubbed her body using the rose water soap Svala had made. She especially focused on the area where Leif and Thora had licked and touched her.

When she felt like she had been disinfected, she rinsed, dried and searched for one of Brand's tunics. Her hand brushed against something. It was a small, wrapped bundle that she didn't recognize.

She pulled on a shirt and picked up the object, feeling the weight of it. Curiously, she unwrapped it.

Gasping, she was shocked when the gold box fell into her hands. It rolled, causing the clasp to flip up on its own. Instantly, it sprang to life and began to glow. With dread, she listened to the distant rumble of thunder and that creepy music. She watched as the lid opened in the same manner it had before.

Tyler desperately wanted to close the box or run from the room. But she was frozen...it was as if she couldn't move a muscle.

Again, the same odd voice spoke, but this time there was no rhyme. It addressed her directly.

"Tyler, we are pleased. We have searched the world high and low for a creature of your ilk. In you, we have found fearlessness and integrity. You r journey is completed."

"No," Tyler whispered. "Please, I don't want to go back!"

But the voice did not respond. Instead, it was quiet...eerily so. For a split second, Tyler thought perhaps she had been allowed to stay. However, a great explosion of thunder caused her to jump.

With dismay, she turned as the balcony door was ripped open. The wind beyond the door was nearly torrential and lightning brightened the sky so that it momentarily looked as if it was daylight.

Anguished, Tyler tried to run.

She no longer felt frozen and sprinted in the opposite direction of the balcony. When she tried to leave Brand's chambers, it was if she was being dragged back. She screamed for all she was worth.

Tyler cried out Brand's name and sobbed dreadfully. She grabbed and clawed at anything she could get her hands on, but it seemed as if she was powerless against the mighty force that pulled her.

Now on the floor, she grasped the wood of the bed in a final attempt. In one last act of desperation she still fought to remain with Brand.

But she was tired...so tired. She was tired of crying, tired of hurting, and tired of her loved ones deserting her. Now, it was the opposite; it was she who was leaving Brand.

"I can't," she gasped, the tears pouring down her face.

Tyler's grip on the bed weakened, her head bowed in defeat. She stopped fighting.

"Brand, forgive me...I'm so sorry," she mumbled brokenly. Her eyes grew heavy...much too heavy to keep open. And when she felt like she was spinning, Tyler allowed it. She no longer fought, but accepted her fate.

***

Tyler had no idea how she'd gotten back to the hotel. She had vague memories of awakening on the ground at the park. It had been late evening still...like only a few minutes of time had passed in her century.

She remembered stumbling to her rental car only wearing Brand's tunic.

When she had turned on the ignition, the clock on the dashboard had read a few minutes after midnight. Amazing. She had spent weeks in 9th century Northumbria, yet only about an hour had passed in the 21st century.

Tyler barely recalled navigating her way through the roads but her memories ended there.

She had been too busy crying and mourning the loss of Brand. Somehow she had managed to stumble back to the room and had crashed on the floor...she hadn't even the strength to make it to the bed.

Now, it was morning, and daylight tried in vain to come in through the drawn blinds. Tyler could hear birds chirping and the city preparing to greet the new day.

How strange.

Today, and the next and the day after that, the world would go on without the knowledge of what happened to her. They would get up in the morning and dress for work. They would get their children ready for school...they would pay bills, argue, make love.

Everything would be the same. Yet nobody would know of the fantastical voyage she had returned from. Nobody would know that she had fallen in love with a man who was one of a kind. Tyler was positive there would never be another like him.

Still lying on her stomach on the floor, she allowed the tears to fall on the shaggy carpet. She didn't have the strength to move, so Tyler remained and allowed herself to drown into deep sadness.

At precisely 8 a.m., the clock radio jumped on. She was supposed to be leaving today. She'd had a noon flight to catch and had set the alarm the day before.

To her misery, one of her favorite songs played, bringing the tears forth more earnestly. Despondently, she hummed along as Loni Rose crooned the lyrics of "Soft Place to Fall."

Tyler was hurting.

The lyrics were too painful, too real; and she welcomed them. Her fingers twisted into the carpet beneath her. She wept deeply, heart-wrenching sobs spilled from her, choked her. Tyler struggled to fill her lungs with air, so powerful was her grief.

When the song ended, she weakly got to her feet and went into the bathroom to clean her face. Briefly, Tyler wondered if she'd imagined Brand and the manor. What if she'd been knocked unconscious at the park when she fell? What if she had taken what she'd read in the book and dreamed up the whole thing?

She began to tremble.

No...she couldn't have. Her time there had been too real, too elaborate. Turning toward the mirror, Tyler's breath came out in a whoosh. What she saw made her relieved and it opened up her wounds even more.

She was wearing Brand's tunic. Her forehead creased and her face crumpled as she sobbed anew. Grabbing handfuls of the garment, she brought it to her nose and breathed in his scent. His wonderful scent.

Her time there had been real. Tyler pulled the tunic over her head and changed into one of her t-shirts and panties. She carried Brand's shirt with her and sat on the edge of the bed.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone and dialed the front desk.

"Yes, good morning. This is Tyler Kenard in room 221. I'd like to extend my stay another two days. Yes...and I'd like to not be disturbed. Thank you."

Tyler didn't have the strength to fight with the airline about her ticket. But she needed to figure out what she would do with herself, where she would go. For right now, though, she would allow herself to grieve.

She hated feeling sorry for herself, but in such a short time, she had lost a lot. Her brother was gone and so were her new friends and the love of her life.

Turning down the covers, Tyler lay on the cool sheets and brought the blanket up over her. She cuddled Brand's tunic against her and breathed in his smell. Once again allowing the tears to flow, she surrendered to her misery.

***

The great hall was not as cheerful as it normally was.

Lord Brand's mood affected all, and since the woman's departure, he had been melancholy. Never before had anyone seen their chieftain so. He was withdrawn, he barely spoke and he had lost much weight.

Even now, he was somber and appeared to be deep in thought. No matter how many times Bjor or Svala tried to engage him, he simply responded to their questions but offered no more. He was a man in mourning.

Only Svala, Asgerd and Bjor knew the truth of what had happened to Tyler.

The rest of the kinsmen figured she had finally returned to her home. Wherever she had gone, they all had a new respect for her. Word had spread how she and Svala had ridden through the night to warn Lord Brand that he had been betrayed by Leif.

None of them were surprised.

They all had known what a bastard Leif was, but they were surprised by his affair with Lady Thora. Much had been revealed in the last week and they all spit on the name of Leif Ulfarson and Lady Thora.

Asgerd looked on at her boy, her heart filled with much regret. Would that he was still a small boy...she would take him into her arms in the same manner in which she used to. She would kiss away his tears and his mood would instantly lighten.

But he was a full grown man now. The only happiness he would find was in Tyler's arms. Such a cruel thing this was! Asgerd would never question the gods, but to bring the boy such happiness and then have the two lovers ripped apart.

She supposed they all should be grateful. Tyler had done what she had been commissioned for. The girl had saved the lord...she had saved them all. Asgerd was indeed grateful. But she wanted it all. She wanted her boy alive and with the woman he loved.

She really did miss Tyler. Such a sweet child and so perfect for her lord.

"Forgive me, ye gods...but tis pure cruelty," she mumbled to herself. She could not take any more. Asgerd abruptly got up from the table and retired to her own chambers.

***

Svala's thoughts were similar to Asgerd's. She was mourning the loss of a friend, and she hated to see Brand suffer so. When she had been instructed to quietly place the box in Brand's trunk, she had known then that Tyler's time with them was nearing an end.

She had begged, and pleaded, asked and raged at the voice inside her. But it had been strangely quiet. Her gift had been nearly useless, and she remained without answers.

The gold box was gone, too.

Svala had hoped to do some sort of spell to bring Tyler back. But her friend had vanished. Well, that was not exactly true. She had been across the hall in Tyler's rooms the night she had been taken from them.

She had heard Tyler's screams and had cried endlessly for it. Svala had wanted to help her, but she had been instructed to not interfere with the workings of the gods. But she could not stand the sound of her friend's pain any longer.

Svala had run to Brand's chambers but she could not get inside. Try as she might, the door would not budge. She had slid to the floor, helpless to do anything but listen to Tyler's sounds of agony as she cried out for Brand.

Svala felt as if her heart had been ripped in two. No one should be made to ache so.

Then it was unnaturally quiet.

The next time Svala tried to open the door, it gave way with no resistance. She walked inside to find the room in a state. The balcony door had been flung open, the tapestry was in a pile on the floor; Brand's desk and the parchment and inks were a mess.

It had looked as if a great storm had ravaged the place.

Svala began to set the room to rights. She did not want Brand to find his chambers in such a state. It would only compound his pain if he felt that Tyler had suffered.

When the room was once again put together, Svala returned to Tyler's rooms and shed her own tears. She could not make sense of this. She was never in the habit of questioning the gods or the fates. But Tyler had wanted to stay.

Why bring her here and have her fall in love, only to rip her away from all she held dear?

Svala had no answers. She was as much in the blind now as she had been a week ago when Tyler had been taken from them. All she knew, was there had to be something that could be done. She was fearful that Brand would wither away; and she did not want to think how badly Tyler fared in her own century.

***

Tyler was between consciousness and sleep.

The room was pitch black and the darkness beyond the blinds confirmed that it was night. She had slept the entire day. Amy Winehouse's "Love Is a Losing Game" played softly on the clock radio.

The song paired with Tyler's loss created a gloomy atmosphere. She wanted to turn the radio off, but her limbs were too heavy with heartache to move. So she lay there, listening to the painful lyrics until sleep once again claimed her.

***

Brand stood on the balcony of his chambers, his mind a web of bleak thoughts.

For the hundredth time, he mentally replayed the day he had returned to find that Tyler was gone.