The Price of Pursuit

title: The Price of Pursuit
author: Tricia
rating: NC-17 (slight non-con)
summary: While trailing after dark magick in pursuit of Hadrian's father, Caled and Hadrian encounter a former lover of Caled's who is also following the same trail. A man who develops an obsession with Hadrian and will do anything to get him.

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The Price of Pursuit--Part 2
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Hadrian lost his dagger somewhere on the forest floor but he knew it was the least of his concerns. He had managed to slip his fingers between the bite of the rope and his skin, but the tight pull was slowly strangling him nonetheless. He gasped into the dry leaves, reaching for the extended length of rope with his other hand, trying to gain some slack. It came, but so did their assailants.

A handful of rugged men, dressed in various shades of brown and green, stepped from the camouflage of the forest. From where he lay on the ground,rianrian saw that they were a rough group, the multitude of visible weapons on their bodies suggesting that they were men used to violence.

"Well, what do we have here?" purred the tallest of the bunch. He was a handsome man, his strong, angular face framed by dark, jagged hair. Odd golden eyes the color of tarnished coins were set within his deeply tanned face. He had bold, sharp features that were echoed in his impressive build. He was a powerful man and undoubtedly the leader.

Ahead of him, Hadrian saw Caled stiffen and attempt to rise to his feet. It was difficult with the rope around his neck, but the mercenary managed it. "Abylon," he said, his voice slightly hoarse from his mistreatment.

The dark-haired man studied Caled with surprise. "Caledon?"

"I go by Caled now."

Hadrian allowed himself to relax slightly. Maybe they wouldn't be killed outright if Caled and the man knew each other. Hadrian could only hope their history together was an amicable one.

The man called Abylon stepped forward and drew Caled into an embrace, his strong face creased with a grin. "My friend!" he exclaimed with obvious delight.

Caled leaned back slightly, removing the rope from around his neck. He rubbed meaningfully at the red scrape across his throat. "Pleasant greeting," he muttered, grinning warily in return.

Abylon shrugged in apology. "How was I to expect you in the middle of the Beywood, of all places? I'd heard you were dead."

"Guess you weren't so lucky," Caled replied easily, but Hadrian heard a hint of something dark in his voice.

Abylon looked at him with amusement. He had an obvious confidence that made him undeniably attractive. "Come, come, Caled. Simply because we parted ways so abruptly doesn't mean I hold any grudges toward you. I have too many fond memories of your acquaintance to be upset with you for long."

Hadrian cocked his head, wondering if the words meant what he thought they did. He tugged on the rope stillirclircling his neck, hoping to loosen it. The movement drew Abylon's eyes to him. The golden eyes darkened. "You have a friend."

At a wave of Abylon's hand, the rope fell slack. Hadrian tugged the noose from around his neck and stood, massaging his throat. Abylon's regard was hot against his skin. The now-bronze eyes followed a leisurely path up and down his body. "And who are you?" the man asked in a silken voice.

"Hadrian," he replied, ignoring Caled's look of warning.

Confusion clouded the metallic eyes. "Hadrian?" he repeated thoughtfully. Abylon swung his eyes to Caled. "Surely he's not the same--"

"Yes," Hadrian answered, unwilling to be spoken of as though he wasn't there.

Abylon's eyes raked him again, more blatantly this time. Hadrian didn't miss the assessing gleam. It made him raise his chin slightly. Abylon smiled faintly at the response.

"Who would have guessed such power came in so attractive a form," he remarked, holding Hadrian's eyes.

Caled abruptly stepped beside him. "Back off, Abylon."

Hadrian looked sideways at him in shock. His surprise deepened as the mercenary slid a possessive hand to the back of his neck. Hadrian tried not to stiffen in irritation as warm fingers curled around his nape.

"Much has changed," Caled said cryptically.

Abylon smiled smoothly, acknowledging the claim. "So it has."

Hadrian ground his teeth, resisting the urge to fling off Caled's hand. He knew the mercenary thought he was protecting Hadrian, but Hadrian could take care of himself. It irritated him no end that Abylon, far from being dissuaded, seemed merely amused by Caled's actions.

"You never were one to labor under loneliness, eh, Caled?" A touch of steel slid into Abylon's voice. "Is playing with fire a little more to you liking? I never knew I was so boring to you."

So, it was as Hadrian suspected. He wasn't entirely surprised to learn that this man and Caled had been lovers. If anything, he found himself intrigued, unconsciously trying to picture them together. They were both highly attractive men. The scenes he envisioned made him shift uncomfortably around a sudden tightness in his body. The fingers on his neck squeezed ever so slightly in warning.

"Things are different," was all C sai said. Hadrian had to bite his tongue as Caled began to massage the tense muscles of his neck, making a show of it for Abylon. He shivered at the caress, refusing to meet Caled's eyes when the mercenary turned to look at him. "It's been a long time," Caled murmured, his eyes intent on Hadrian. The sorcerer wouldn't look up though the blue gaze willed him to. "I've moved on."

Abylon's handsome mouth twitched. "So I see." He shrugged. "No matter. I will enjoy your company regardless, yours and Hadrian's. Your presence is fortuitous." His face lost it's humor. "My men and I find ourselves faced with things we do not know how to deal with. Perhaps you may help us."

Hadrian had spied his dagger in the leaves and bent to recover it, using the motion as an excuse to shrug off Caled's hand. He breathed a little easier without the intimate touch. "You speak of the...wolves." He was unsure how closely Abylon and his men had seen the creatures.

"They are not wolves such as I have ever seen," Abylon replied bitterly. "Their bite holds an evil poison. I have lost many good men because of them."

Beside him, Caled said, "Have you seen one of the wolf-creatures that is all white? We think that may be their leader."

Abylon nodded. "Aye, a white devil if ever I have seen one. It never engages us directly, only watches from the side as the others attack. It seems different from the others."

"Yes, I have sensed thaoo,"oo," Caled said.

Hadrian looked at him with interest. But Abylon suddenly clapped his hands together, forestalling further conversation. "Come, miendiends. Join us at our camp. Let us share a flask and relate what we know of this new evil. We may catch up on old times as well, eh, Caled?"

Hadrian sensed the mercenary's reluctance and was mildly surprised by it. Did their animosity run that deep, or was Caled afraid Hadrian would learn too much of his shared history with Abylon? Either way, it didn't matter. These men could have important information about the creatures that could lead to their magick source.

"That sounds agreeable," Hadrian answered for them. "We need to learn as much about these creatures as we can."

Abylon nodded. "I thought you would be the sensible one, Hadrian." His eyes lingered on Caled's and he smiled.

**********************************

Abylon and his men led them to a large glade ringed by tall trees and a lazy stream. Several horses had been tied by the water's edge. A handful of men roamed the area, lounging around the banked fire or practicing their swordplay. As he and Hadrian were led into the clearing, Caled nodded at several of the men he recognized. Abylon had kept many of the same men in his small outfit that he'd had back when Caled was his partner. By the dark looks he was receiving, Caled knew that his parting from the group had not been taken well. He heard his full name being murmured with disdain. Someone spat in the dirt in his path, though careful to make sure Abylon did not see it. He noticed, too, the eyes that followed Hadrian. Foreboding began to grow in him.

"Yre mre mercenaries," Hadrian remarked, apparently oblivious to the stares he was getting. He sat down upon one of the logs that had been dragged around the fire, watching the mock fighting with interest.

Caled saw the way Abylon's eyes lingered on the younger man. He recognized the look and consciously chose a seat on the same log as Hadrian.

"Abylon and his men have been earning their keep by the blade since they were strong enough to lift swords," Caled told the grey-eyed sorcerer. "If you can afford them, there is no finer fighting force to be found."

Abylon inclined his head at the compliment. He had settled directly across the low-burning fire from them, a heavy flask in his hand. "But we have yet to regain the glory we possessed while you were one of our numbers." His eyes flashed at Caled with remembrance. "We were quite a fearsome team, wouldn't you agree? I find myself missing way way we used to watch each other's backs."

I'll bet you do, Caled thought darkly. Their relationship had been passionate, but ultimately, empty. Abylon had been unwilling to share command of his group and Caled had grown tired of the other man's hunger for power. Both stubborn, neither had been willing to back down. So Caled had simply left one morning without word. That had been almost two years ago.

The wine skin passed through several hands before eventually reaching his own. He took a healthy swallow, needing to ease his tension. "I see your taste in wine hasn't changed," he said, gasping slightly as the potent wine made his eyes burn. He considered warning Hadrian before passing the skin, but thought better of it. A slightly drunk Hadrian might be easier to manage than an ever-wary one.

Hadrian thought he could handle the situation, but he didn't know Abylon the way Caled did. The golden-eyed leader was dangerously charismatic. Caled had succumbed to his charms with ridiculous ease. Granted, Caled had been extremely young when they'd first met, but he had remained with Abylon for years. He had remained long after his eyes had recognized the truth of Abylon and known he should have left. Resisting Abylon had been difficult then and looked to be no different now. And unfortunately, Caled knew from his own dealings with Hadrian that the younger man was woefully inexperienced. He wouldn't be able to resist Abylon's charms for long. It would be far safer to keep his former lover away from Hadrian altogether.

As predicted, Hadrian coughed and choked as he lowered the flask from his lips. Caled smiled, resisting the urge to wipe away the trickle of wine that slid down the sorcerer's pale chin. Then he questioned his hesitance. If they were supposed to be lovers, he had better play the part.

Praying Hadrian wouldn't instinctively slap his hand away, Caled reached over and gently ran his thumb up the curve of Hadrian's chin to catch the drop of ruby liquid. Unable to help himself, he continued the stroke to brush his thumb over the sensuous curve of the sorcerer's lower lip. Hadrian held himself perfectly still beneath the touch. Caled brought his damp thumb to his own lips and licked it, tasting the wine and what he knew to be Hadrian. When he brought his eyes to the sorcerer's, the grey eyes were hot like molten metal.

He wants to kill me, Caled thought with amusement. Perhaps playing lovers would be enjle ile in ways he had not considered.

"I can see why you do not miss me," Abylon commented from across the fire. He had apparently mistaken Hadrian's anger for passion. "Danger and beauty are an irresistible combination."

"Which cannot be possessed," Hadrian added tightly, his hands curled into fists upon his thighs.

Ignoring the men around them, Caled leaned forward. Hadrian shivered as Caled's breath stroked his ear. A reaction of anger? Or desire? "Play along, Hades," he murmured in a low voice. His lips brushed the curve of the younger man's ear, making Hadrian shiver more visibly. "I'm doing this for your benefit, not mine. Abylon wants nothing better than to bend you over this log and have his way with you. I couldn't promise you he wouldn't let the others have their turn, either." And simply because he enjoyed torturing the sorcerer too much to help himself, he let his tongue slip out to flick the delicate earlobe. "Better to be sleeping with me than with all of them. It's your choice."

"You give me no choice at all," Hadrian muttered beneath his breath.

When Caled pulled back, Hadrian's grey eyes were stormy. Faint rose stained his cheekbones and his mouth was parted as though he longed to say more. Not for the first time, Caled noticed how incredibly beautiful Hadrian was. Caled felt his lower body respond in a way he had not expected. He clenched his hands, wanting badly to grab a handful of that dark hair and force Hadrian beneath him in a demanding kiss. Unnerved by his own reaction, Caled leaned away.

Caled looked up to find Abylon's eyes on him, carefully considering. Caled returned the look, letting his challenge show. If you want him, his eyes said, you have to go through me. Abylon smirked.

"I see my place," the golden-eyed man said, sounding not the least bit disappointed, which bothered Caled. "A pity. For all of us," he added, making sure Caled understood that Abylon still wanted him, as well.

"Tell us about these creatures," Caled said, wanting to steer the topic from the dangerous waters into which it had waded. "When did you first come upon them?"

One of the men to Abylon's left threw a stone into the fire. "We encountered them four days ago," the man said. A jagged scar ran across the man's forehead. Caled recognized him from his days when he had fought alongside these men. Janus. "They killed five of our men before we learned it was safer to scare the beasts off than to fight them. A simple scratch was all it took for the poison to set in. Death followed within the day."

"They are magicked," Abylon said. His voice lowered. "You are a sorcerer, Hadrian. I have seen your work in Rhiad. How do you think these creatures came to be?"

Hadrian was tense beside Caled. "If I knew the answer, I would not be sitting here," he answered curtl
A
A flash of irritation lit Abylon's eyes before his lips curved. "Indeed."

Caled rubbed at the back of his neck. Hadrian was going to get them both killed with his sharp tongue. "What do you know of the white one?" he asked, pressing his leg against Hadrian's as a warning to keep silent. "I have seen it only once but it seemed to possess an intelligence."

"Ah, but that one is why we are here," Abylon replied.

Janus shared a glance with his leader before speaking. "We have been hired to capture it. So far we are no closer to laying our hands upon it than we were when the creatures first attacked us."

This caught Caled's interest. "Who hired you? And what do they want with this creature?"

The scarred man shook his head. "Our contact has been with third parties. Whoever it is who hired us wants to remain anonymous. Makes no difference to us. Who our client is or why he wants this white one in particular means nothing to us. We get paid, regardless."

"But we are having difficulties fulfilling our contract," Abylon said. He had leaned forward, bracing his forearms across his knees and was studying the newcomers closely. "We cannot get near the creatures for fear of being poisoned, yet they are too cunning to fall into our normal traps. The white one is the greatest challenge."

"You will never capture it," Hadrian said simply.

"Not without help," Abylon agreed.

Caled immediately understood why they'd been invited here. Abylon had been studying Hadrian for more than just his fair appearance. Hadrian came to the same conclusion as well. "I do not use magick any longer," he said quietly. The echoes of his earlier trauma lingered in his words. "My powers are hampered."

Janus, who was apparently Abylon's second-in-command, abruptly stood and joined a pair of riders who had just entered the clearing. Caled watched the men confer, the riders untying a sack from the back of one of the horses.

"Hampered in what way?" Abylon asked, his eyebrow arched in question.

Hadrian looked away. "You would not understand."

"Maybe you would be surprised."

"Enough," Caled bit out, weary of Abylon's less-than-subtle pressure. "He cannot do it. You'll have to catch the creature on your own."

Janus returned to the fire, lugging the sack over one shoulder. Caled waited in apprehension as Janus bent and whispered into Abylon's ear. A slow smile curved the handsome leader's lips.

"Tell me, Caled," he purred, confidence blazing from his pores, "are the two of you traveling by yourselves?"

"Yes," the mercenary replied without hesitation.

"Odd, because I sent some of my men to find your horses and bring them along and they told me they found four horses."

Horses, but not Syellen and Manix. Caled vowed to grant Syellen more respect for having managed to hide both herself and the injured mage.

"We found the horses wandering in the wood," Caled replied, keeping his face blank. "Perhaps their riders were killed by the creatures. We never found them, but we weren't about to pass up two perfectly good mounts."

"How fortunate for you."

At a signal from Abylon, his second-in-command untied the mouth of the sack he carried and dumped its contents onto the ground. A bundle of brown fur tumbled out. The men about the fire murmured uneasily.

Abylon waved carelessly at the mass. "Now that used to be one of the creatures. It isn't any longer." He laughed, looking pointedly at Hadrian. "Tell me again that you cannot use your powers."

To be continued on JuxtaposeFantasy.com. Go check it out!