Malice Maze

Chapter 24
Ilona’s True Love

Ilona’s cheeks felt hot, her body felt like it was burning in the fires of the highest volcano that lived on the island off of the of the continent. She arched, trying to rid herself of the flame burning through her. She felt… off. She felt something different about herself. Her eyes would not open, she would not see where she was, all she knew was she no longer remained in the cave with the dragon and Dralnu though she sensed the king somewhere close to her. She could feel him in a way she had never been able to feel anyone before and he was not even right beside her.

“Lel,” she whispered in her fevered state. Somewhere in her mind she remembered the dancer and at the same time he was fading from her memory. The harder she tried to think of him the more she could not remember him. He was fading, though the caravan she had traveled with was still there, still filled with people and laughter. The memory of an assassin killing her parents, an act so traumatizing she had blocked out much of her childhood, it was fading along with Lel. All of it was mixing in with memories she did not know, memories of a childhood that could not be hers because who was this little scarlet haired nymph that she kept seeing? This young child who played in the fields and was turning to a family and announcing she must go to God for he was calling her. Her family, so fearing that she would be another corrupt priestess used for the nefarious purposes of darker things, needed to protect her. They wanted to keep her away from the priestesses and let her live a life, though it would be a lie. They bargained with him… who was he? She could not see his face, only the black cloak that hung over his body. A black cloak she recognized for the buttons along the right side, silver buttons, when most enchanters of her time wore black cloaks and black buttons down the front. Even Melody’s enchanter wore black buttons…

Ilona crawled through the memories, using her hands to help her swim through the thick haze. What was going on? She needed escape, she needed something real.

The fire of her body quickly turned from a painful lava flow to a heat filled passion as she finally opened her eyes and found herself encompassed in Dralnu’s arms, his naked figure above her naked figure, his lips caressing hers gently but with passion that she had never known. He nestled himself between her legs, his body hard against hers, and she allowed his kisses to rain down her cheeks, his kisses to caress her nipples, his hands to cover her body and caress her in ways that should be illegal. He let his tongue encompass her rosy nipples and lick them till they were as hard as a certain part of him, he moved his hands over her breasts, smoothing against her round stomach, over her hips and between her legs. His thumb found her clitoris and flicked over it and again she found herself arching, but in a welcoming of the heat instead of trying to push it away.

Dralnu pushed inside of her, his thumb still pressing against the button that had her writhing. With his slow push inside of her Ilona’s body tightened and protested, as if this were her first time. She felt tight, she felt him break through her virginity, and that should not have been possible… should it? The memory of just hours before was fading as fast as her memories of a false childhood. Had her memory been manipulated? None of that mattered? She was in ecstasy while being in pain; she wanted Dralnu inside of her though she hated him… but hated him why? What was on the deep recesses of her mind that she could not grasp?

Ilona gazed out into the sunlight that broke through the darkness of the maze. She saw the light beckoning to her and she knew she only had one option. She walked out of the mouth of the cave and into the waiting arms of Dralnu, King of all Kings, the Dragon Lord. Memories of what had happened in the maze began to buzz away from her mind as he grasped her hands and pulled her into his embrace.

He pushed further into her, slowly moving, making the lasting experience sensual. He lifted and dropped his hips and she moved with him, meeting him beat for beat. She tightened her legs about his waist and together they writhed on a bed that she had no recollection of being put on. They wrapped limbs around one another and sweated into the darkness that was slowly enshrouding them. Their lips met and parted and always found a way back to one another. He moved hard and fast inside of her and she met him with her own rhythm and then he would slow and give her a new rhythm to meet and she would pull at him with delight.

“Ilona,” he growled into her neck and her nails traced down his back as she called, “Dralnu,” into the imposing darkness and the two came together, her body convulsing in a way that was sweet and his filling her with something more than just lust. They gripped one another, tumbling upon the bed and Ilona looked up at him with eyes filled with love. It was only when they rolled together and her tresses fell in front of her face that she hesitated. She reached out and ran fingers over crimson colored strands of hair, her fingers softened and shaking. She looked down at him and knew without gazing into his eyes that her eyes were no longer sapphire, they were violet, shining like an amethyst.

“I…” she began to stutter and Dralnu’s hands were in her hair, pulling her face down to his so his lips could caress hers.

“No,” he told her sweetly, “do not remember. Your life starts today. You will be the only one blessed with happiness after this, my love. You will be a queen among queens, do not remember.”

Ilona’s mind happily went blank with his words and she remembered only him and the feel of his hands as they traveled up her body and encompassed her again. The maze, which she had exited hours before, was a memory she would never know. Lel, a brother who had been created to protect a sister he had never had, was gone, and the dragon who had loved her for a few moments and scared her into agreeing to the maze had been an extension of the king who had waited for her, for the priestess that had been prophesied to him from the very beginning. A life she had lived only because it had been manipulated was fading… and Dralnu dragged her back down to the bed as he grew hard under her hands once more.