The Phoenix Key 2 "Deliver Me"
folder
Erotica › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
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2,646
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Currently Reading:
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Category:
Erotica › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
Views:
2,646
Reviews:
4
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 4
\"The Phoenix Key\"
Deliver Me
By: Delilah deSora
Pagan_nyght@yahoo.com
Chapter 4
**
Now that you’re here
Now that I’ve found you
I know that you’re the one to pull me through
**
Ivan shifted and yawned. He rolled onto his side and stretched languidly. When his hand failed to connect with anything he blinked sleepily and glanced to the side. With a gasp he sat up, fully awake and peering about the room.
“Trey?”
No answer was forthcoming and he frowned, worry setting off tiny alarms in his mind. Trey wasn’t given to waking before him and on the rare occasion he did he knew better than to leave the bed without permission. Throwing the heavy furs aside he stood, his hand instinctively brushing across the end table to prove that the key was still present. Cool metal met skin and he slipped the key into the pocket of his robe.
A quick check of the door between his inner audience room and his outer one proved it to be still latched and with the key in his possession Ivan relaxed slightly. He peered into his study but it also proved to be empty so he returned to the sleeping chamber. With another glance across the rapidly brightening room he drifted towards the bathing room.
“Trey?”
His bare feet touched the damp floor and he froze as the sight before him registered. The water of the bath was so still it resembled a mirror, testament to a complete lack of motion of the sole occupant of the bath.
“Trey!”
Pulling off his robe Ivan ran to the unconscious man. When he touched the wrinkled skin he found it chillingly cold. Tugging with one hand he called to the man again, giving him a sharp shake.
“Trey!”
His heart nearly stopped when red lashes fluttered slightly and golden eyes peered up at him sleepily. “Hmm?”
Ivan resisted the urge to check to make sure his heart was still beating and instead focused all his energy on the more pressing matter at hand. “What are you doing in here? Come on get out, this water is freezing!” He snapped, tugging insistently at the arm in his hand.
Trey frowned and stared down at the bath in confusion but obediently climbed out. As soon as his skin was exposed to the air, however, he hissed and shivered. Ivan tsked in irritation and wrapped his robe about the shivering form, urging the red haired man back into the bedroom and sitting him before the fireplace. Trey huddled in the dark robe, his teeth clattering as Ivan retrieved a second robe and summoned a servant to build a fire.
They sat in silence as the bleary-eyed boy added wood and coaxed flame from the kindling. Ivan chased him out and closed the door firmly behind him. Whirling upon the huddled man he stalked forward.
“What were you thinking?” He demanded. “Surely you know better than to fall asleep like that!”
Trey didn’t answer him and he knelt down only to find the man fast asleep. Blinking in surprise he shook his slave sharply. Trey started and stared up at him with glassy eyes. Frowning Ivan caught his face between his hands and stared at the pale face closely.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Trey shook away from his grasp and shivered as he drew the robe more tightly around him. “I am well. Just . . . tired.”
“So you decided to take a bath in ice water?” Ivan snapped, his fear fading into irritably.
He saw Trey wince slightly. “I just wanted to clean myself. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m sorry, master.”
Ivan rose and paced a few steps before whirling about and retracing his steps. With a growl of frustration he pulled open the door to the wardrobe and removed a towel. Nudging Trey closer to the fire he pulled away the robe and set about drying the saturated skin. He noticed that the golden eyes slid closed w tiw times only to be shaken awake as Trey caught himself falling asleep.
“Did you not sleep at all before you decided to drown yourself?” Ivan asked.
Trey shook his head.
Ivan sighed and began working on the long wet hair. “You should have woken me.”
“Yes, master.” Trey murmured, head low.
Ivan gave the mane of hair a reproachful tug. “I mean it, Trey. Now get dressed and back into bed.” He ordered, reting ing the wet robe and depositing both on the table by the door. He turned in time to see Trey catch himself on one of the thick poles supporting the bed\'s canopy and curtains. He hurried over to the red haired man’s side. Trey’s skin was still cold against his and he helped the man sit on the bed. Satisfied that his slave wouldn’t topple off the edge he dug through the drawers that contained Trey’s clothes. He retrieved a set of garments and handed them to his slave who dutifully pulled them on.
Satisfied, Ivan allowed him to lie down. By the time he had returned with an extra set of blankets his lover was already fast asleep. Smiling despite himself Ivan tucked the furs and blankets about the larger form. A quick glance out the window showed that morning was well underway but he had an hour or so before he would be needed. Stripping off the robe he climbed in next to the sleeping man and, though the cold flesh send shivers through him, he pulled his firebird against him.
“What am I to do with you?” He murmured against the still damp hair. Running his hands against the cold flesh he tried his best to give it what little warmth he could.
A soft but firm knock on the door jarred Ivan awake with a curse. Sunlight filtered in through the window, telling him he’d oversleep and he slid from the bed with a second curse. A quick glance told him that Trey was still fast asleep. Unlatching the door he opened it to find his personal guardian eyeing him closely.
“I will be ready in a minute Byely.”
The man nodded and stepped back, allowing him to shut the door. Quickly he retrieved a simple set of clothes and dressed. Before leaving he bent over the sleeping man, brushing a hand across his cheek. Trey murmured something in his sleep and Ivan shook his head, pulling the blankets over an exposed shoulder. Brushing his lips across unresponsive ones he straightened and slipped from the room.
**
Trey was drifting in a haze. At first all he knew was cold. It seeped through his skin and into his very soul so that he feared he’d never be warm again. He’d been grateful when glorious warmth had chased it away. After that he’d been contented to just float in the strange place his mind had taken him to.
The first sense he regained was the sense of sound. He vaguely recognized the sound of glass clinking as it was set down somewhere to his left and he could recall the familiar sounds of a servant straightening the room, probably under the watchful eye of Byely, the only other person with a key to the room. The sounds had faded and he’d gone back to the strange grey haze. Sometime later he had heard the door open again and the brief whisper of voices before they also faded.
Not long after more voices intruded upon his sleep and though he tried to ignore them they were persistent. He found himself drawn towards them. The second sense he regained as the voices nagged at his consciousness was that of touch. He felt fur against his chest and cloth against his legs. It pricked at his skin and he tried to throw the irritating objects off of him but, to his frustration, they were always brought back.
He was suddenly too hot and his skin too sensitive making him thrash, desperate to free himself of the constricting things. Something pressed against him and he protested weakly, trying to wriggle free. Words came at him that he couldn’t understand through the haze and he felt something heavy across his chest.
The third sense he regained was smell and he quieted as he recognized the peculiar combination of scents that only belonged to Ivan. He heard more words and felt a gentle hand against his cheek. He turned towards it, enjoying the feel of coolness against his too hot skin.
The fourth sense to return was taste as he felt something cool and wet brushed against his lips. Opening them he gladly accepted the water he was given. It washed away a stale taste he hadn’t realized resided in his mouth. When his second drink yielded a strangely sweet liquid he tried to turn from it but it followed him and he finally accepted it into his body. More water followed and satisfied he dropped back through the haze into true sleep.
It did not last, however, as old fears and images plagued him and he struggled to consciousness to escape them. Finally sight returned to him and he found himself staring blankly at the man atop him. He tried to sit up but a thin hand held him down. He frowned, not fully understanding the signals that his body was giving him.
Ivan stroked wet locks back from his forehead and he realized with a start that his body was coated in sweat. The realization brought back the feeling of being too hot and he pushed weakly at the blankets covering him.
“Don’t.” Ivan said, pulling the covers back to his chin.
“Too hot.” He murmured surprised at how much energy two simple words stole from him.
His master nodded but did not relent. “You have a fever that comes and goes. Just lie still.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to make sense of his body. It ached in a way he had not felt since he was a child and he coughed when a deep breath rattled in his chest. Painful pressure flared across his upper body and he curled up, trying to relieve it. Ivan stroked his back softly and he relaxed as the pain subsided.
“Why do I hurt so?” He whispered, closing his eyes.
He felt Ivan shift next to him and he opened his eyes as a hand caressed his cheek. “You’re ill, love.”
He tried to shake his head but he couldn’t find enough energy for the act. “I don’t get ill. Magic.” He whispered, shivering as his body suddenly decided it was too cold.
Ivan tucked the covers underneath him in what Trey was beginning to suspect was a nervous habit. “I know but it seems your late night bath was enough to weaken your bto tto the point where even the healing magic within you couldn’t stop it,” he paused for a moment and Trey saw a fierce look cross his face, “Ye gie given me quite a scare.”
He smiled wanly and wriggled his hand free so that he could place it on the tsar’s knee. “I’ll be alright.”
Ivan covered Trey’s hand with one of his own, staring at him intently. “You’ve been shouting in your sleep.”
Trey frowned, glancing away. “Have I?”
“Yes.”
He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, momentarily surprised to find it supple and free of the small bites that usually peppered it. At least it appeared the magic in his veins hadn’t completely left him. “What have I said?”
Ivan shook his head. “I am not sure. It was in a language I do not know.”
Trey sighed in relief, turning to bury his face in the soft pillow. “I am sure it wasn’t important.”
“It sounded important.” Ivan replied, green eyes narrowing slightly.
Forcing himself to smile, Trey weakly lifted his hand. Ivan took it and Trey pulled him close enough to brush a kiss across his master’s forehead. “It’s alright.”
Ivan looked like he wanted to protest but the tsar kept his peace. Trey settled back against the pillows and promptly fell back to sleep. Reaching out to stroke the tangled mass of red curls Ivan watched over his slave.
When Byeley had come to tell him that Trey had failed to eat breakfast he had waved it off. Trey had told him he hadn’t slept well so he had half expected such a thing. He had just given orders for a larger than normal lunch to be prepared and sent his guard and servant away. A few hours later Byely had returned with the knowledge that Trey had not eaten lunch and showed no signs of having woken. Again he had passed it off, knowing that the previous day had been a stressful one for his slave.
He had, however, decided to sneak off during the afternoon break after he had finished his correspondence with Tsar Dedumil asking vaguely about transfiguring to wake his sleeping lover and coax him into eating. It had been a task he had failed miserably at. Trey refused to be woken despite Ivan’s best attempts and one touch of the flushed skin was all Ivan had needed to realize that Trey had fallen ill.
He’d been loathed to summon a healer but he had been left with no choice. Trey’s intrinsic healing powers normally protected him from such things but it seemed to have failed this time so Ivan had summoned a healer who had provided medicine and stunned silence as Trey’s body began to heal itself of the fever after only a day.
That had been when the nightmares had begun. At least Ivan assumed it was nightmares for he knew of nothing else that would cause the larger man to cry out in such a way. He had been unaware that Trey knew a language different from the one they spoke and from the ease of the way such strange syllables twisted off the man’s tongue Ivan was beginning to wonder if their language was even his native one.
All night he had sat, listening to the flowing words, unsure somet of of where one word stopped and another began and he had realized how truly little he knew of the man sleeping beside him. He knew Trey had traveled extensively before running afoul of his father and he knew the man had some skill at playing a flute-like wind instrument but thas aas all.
He realized he didn’t even know how Trey had survived his father’s beating long enough to get to the fruit in the orchard.
Ivan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wanted to know more about the man who shared his bed but he didn’t want to remind Trey of the life he had been forced to leave behind. The red haired man was given to fits of depression and Ivan was sure being forced to dwell on what had been taken from him would drive his firebird back into moody silence and listless service. He wanted his slave to serve him but he hated it when the fiery man acted as though he were just another piece of furniture to be ordered around.
“My lord?”
What is it Byely?” He asked, looking up at his guardian wearily.
“The lady, Maryushka, wishes to speak with you.”
Ivan cursed himself for a fool. He had completely forgotten the woman’s presence. “I will see her. Bring my lunch to her room.”
Byely bowed and disappeared through the open doorway. Reaching out to touch Trey’s sweat damp brow he stood and extinguished the candles on his departure. He closed the door, missing the sound of the latch. With the comings and goings of the healer and servant he had released the lock that normally sealed his firebird off from the world.
Straightening his robes he strode down the hallway to meet with his unwanted guest.
**
Trey woke up to the feeling of hands caressing his chest. Normally he would have basked in such a pleasurable touch but this touch felt wrong. He struggled to open his eyes and stared up to find out what was bothering him.
Instead of a familiar black haired tsar he met the gaze of a foreign brown haired woman. She smiled at him and her fingers roughly tugged at his nipples. With a cry he tried to pull away from her but his strength failed him and he only succeeded in jerking a few inches away from her. She scowled and struck him. There was no real power behind it but it startled him long enough for her to climb up and straddle his waist.
“I know you like this so stop fighting it, you.” She hissed at him, leaning over him and pressing a wet kiss against his lips.
Fear and disgust coursed through him and he shoved her hard. She tumbled off the edge of the bed with a shriek. He thrashed through the furs and blankets to the other edge of the bed when dizziness over took him and he fell to his knees as the world spun about him.
Nails dug into his shoulder and he cried out in pain as the woman tried to force his head up. Another kiss was forced upon him and he pushed weakly at her, trying to dislodge her smaller body. His forearm caught her and forced her off balance, sending her toppling into the delicate dinning table and causing a shower of glass to rain down to the floor as empty plates shattered around her.
The brown haired woman cried out and tried to protect herself from the shards. She glared at him from under her arms. “I’ll tell your master you forced me! You’ll be beaten for this!” She shrieked at him.
Panic flooded through him at the knowledge that he’d physically forced the woman from him and that Ivan would indeed be angry about the situation. He couldn’t think straight but when the woman started to stand the panic took control of him and he escaped out of the open door and into the hall. He heard her screaming for the guards and he fled.
He came across a crossway and froze, unsure of where to go. He heard voices along the path he was currently on so he turned down the new corridor, desperate to avoid people. The palace was a maze and he did not know where he was going but he fled anyway. The woman was right, his master would be furious with him and he had no wish to be caught. He needed to get somewhere quiet where he could think, where he could force the fog in his mind to relent and let him try to make sense of what was happening. He needed to hide.
A half hidden stairway rose to his left and he fled up it, finding the dark upper level appealing. He froze as he heard footsteps at the bottom of the stairs but they passed by and he continued on in a panicked haze.
**
Ivan frowned deeply when a firm knock on the door was followed immediately by an anxious Byely who asked for an audience. He voiced his apologies to the lady who nodded and slipped away to one of the inner rooms. Ivan turned to demand an exclamation but his words were pre-empted by his guardian.
“Your slave is gone.”
Ivan’s mouth snapped shut and he stared at the man for a moment. Could Trey have really fled him? Would Trey flee? “Gone? What do you mean?” He demanded, standing.
Byely bowed his head as he passed before falling into step behind him. “A servant says he attacked her and when she fo him him he fled.”
Ivan glanced over his shoulder incredulously. “Attacked her? He could barely speak less than an hour ago and he has been abed for over two days.”
The guard shrugged. “I do not know my lord. I have sent men to find him and bring him back.”
“He is not to be harmed.” He warned.
Byely nodded. “I told them.”
“Where is this servant?” Ivan demanded.
“In the rooms, my lord.”
“Good.” He was silent the rest of the way, glancing in empty rooms to make sure his missing slave was not in any of them. In his rooms he paused to study the damage. Broken glass and scattered blankets caught his attention before he focused on the sobbing servant. He frowned as he approached her.
“What happened here?” He demanded.
The servant peered up at him and he saw her tremble before she flung herself at his feet. “He attacked me, my lord! I tried to stop him but he was too strong!”
He growled and stepped away from her in disgust. “I do not know you. What is she doing here?” He asked, turning to Byely.
Byely shook his head. “I do not know her either, my lord.”
“Who are you?”
The woman glanced up at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the floor. “I am Manya . . .”
“I don’t care what your name is,” Ivan snapped, “What are you doing here?”
She trembled slightly. “I brought water . . .”
“I asked for no water.”
Manya stared at him and began to stutter out another excuse but Ivan cut her off.
“What did you do to him, Manya?” He asked quietly.
She shuddered at the ice in his voice. “Nothing he . . .”
Ivan snarled and caught her arm, making her gasp in pain. “Liar!” He hissed. “What did you do to him?”
The servant collapsed into a weeping puddle. “I didn’t do anything! He seduced me, I told him no but he wouldn’t stop! He used me to escape!” She wailed.
Ivan flung her down with a curse and stormed out of the room. “Get rid of her. I don’t care what you do but I don’t ever want to see her again.”
Byely bowed. “Yes my lord.”
“Which way did he go?” Ivan asked, peering down the hall.
“Right, my lord.”
Nodding his understanding Ivan paced down the hall, peering into rooms and calling out softly. The palace was huge and there were literally hundreds of rooms but he could discount most of them. Trey was afraid of people; he wouldn’t have fled towards them. He would have gone somewhere uninhabited where he could hide.
He only prayed that Trey hadn’t found a way outside, else his firebird might be lost to him forever.
Deliver Me
By: Delilah deSora
Pagan_nyght@yahoo.com
Chapter 4
**
Now that you’re here
Now that I’ve found you
I know that you’re the one to pull me through
**
Ivan shifted and yawned. He rolled onto his side and stretched languidly. When his hand failed to connect with anything he blinked sleepily and glanced to the side. With a gasp he sat up, fully awake and peering about the room.
“Trey?”
No answer was forthcoming and he frowned, worry setting off tiny alarms in his mind. Trey wasn’t given to waking before him and on the rare occasion he did he knew better than to leave the bed without permission. Throwing the heavy furs aside he stood, his hand instinctively brushing across the end table to prove that the key was still present. Cool metal met skin and he slipped the key into the pocket of his robe.
A quick check of the door between his inner audience room and his outer one proved it to be still latched and with the key in his possession Ivan relaxed slightly. He peered into his study but it also proved to be empty so he returned to the sleeping chamber. With another glance across the rapidly brightening room he drifted towards the bathing room.
“Trey?”
His bare feet touched the damp floor and he froze as the sight before him registered. The water of the bath was so still it resembled a mirror, testament to a complete lack of motion of the sole occupant of the bath.
“Trey!”
Pulling off his robe Ivan ran to the unconscious man. When he touched the wrinkled skin he found it chillingly cold. Tugging with one hand he called to the man again, giving him a sharp shake.
“Trey!”
His heart nearly stopped when red lashes fluttered slightly and golden eyes peered up at him sleepily. “Hmm?”
Ivan resisted the urge to check to make sure his heart was still beating and instead focused all his energy on the more pressing matter at hand. “What are you doing in here? Come on get out, this water is freezing!” He snapped, tugging insistently at the arm in his hand.
Trey frowned and stared down at the bath in confusion but obediently climbed out. As soon as his skin was exposed to the air, however, he hissed and shivered. Ivan tsked in irritation and wrapped his robe about the shivering form, urging the red haired man back into the bedroom and sitting him before the fireplace. Trey huddled in the dark robe, his teeth clattering as Ivan retrieved a second robe and summoned a servant to build a fire.
They sat in silence as the bleary-eyed boy added wood and coaxed flame from the kindling. Ivan chased him out and closed the door firmly behind him. Whirling upon the huddled man he stalked forward.
“What were you thinking?” He demanded. “Surely you know better than to fall asleep like that!”
Trey didn’t answer him and he knelt down only to find the man fast asleep. Blinking in surprise he shook his slave sharply. Trey started and stared up at him with glassy eyes. Frowning Ivan caught his face between his hands and stared at the pale face closely.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Trey shook away from his grasp and shivered as he drew the robe more tightly around him. “I am well. Just . . . tired.”
“So you decided to take a bath in ice water?” Ivan snapped, his fear fading into irritably.
He saw Trey wince slightly. “I just wanted to clean myself. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m sorry, master.”
Ivan rose and paced a few steps before whirling about and retracing his steps. With a growl of frustration he pulled open the door to the wardrobe and removed a towel. Nudging Trey closer to the fire he pulled away the robe and set about drying the saturated skin. He noticed that the golden eyes slid closed w tiw times only to be shaken awake as Trey caught himself falling asleep.
“Did you not sleep at all before you decided to drown yourself?” Ivan asked.
Trey shook his head.
Ivan sighed and began working on the long wet hair. “You should have woken me.”
“Yes, master.” Trey murmured, head low.
Ivan gave the mane of hair a reproachful tug. “I mean it, Trey. Now get dressed and back into bed.” He ordered, reting ing the wet robe and depositing both on the table by the door. He turned in time to see Trey catch himself on one of the thick poles supporting the bed\'s canopy and curtains. He hurried over to the red haired man’s side. Trey’s skin was still cold against his and he helped the man sit on the bed. Satisfied that his slave wouldn’t topple off the edge he dug through the drawers that contained Trey’s clothes. He retrieved a set of garments and handed them to his slave who dutifully pulled them on.
Satisfied, Ivan allowed him to lie down. By the time he had returned with an extra set of blankets his lover was already fast asleep. Smiling despite himself Ivan tucked the furs and blankets about the larger form. A quick glance out the window showed that morning was well underway but he had an hour or so before he would be needed. Stripping off the robe he climbed in next to the sleeping man and, though the cold flesh send shivers through him, he pulled his firebird against him.
“What am I to do with you?” He murmured against the still damp hair. Running his hands against the cold flesh he tried his best to give it what little warmth he could.
A soft but firm knock on the door jarred Ivan awake with a curse. Sunlight filtered in through the window, telling him he’d oversleep and he slid from the bed with a second curse. A quick glance told him that Trey was still fast asleep. Unlatching the door he opened it to find his personal guardian eyeing him closely.
“I will be ready in a minute Byely.”
The man nodded and stepped back, allowing him to shut the door. Quickly he retrieved a simple set of clothes and dressed. Before leaving he bent over the sleeping man, brushing a hand across his cheek. Trey murmured something in his sleep and Ivan shook his head, pulling the blankets over an exposed shoulder. Brushing his lips across unresponsive ones he straightened and slipped from the room.
**
Trey was drifting in a haze. At first all he knew was cold. It seeped through his skin and into his very soul so that he feared he’d never be warm again. He’d been grateful when glorious warmth had chased it away. After that he’d been contented to just float in the strange place his mind had taken him to.
The first sense he regained was the sense of sound. He vaguely recognized the sound of glass clinking as it was set down somewhere to his left and he could recall the familiar sounds of a servant straightening the room, probably under the watchful eye of Byely, the only other person with a key to the room. The sounds had faded and he’d gone back to the strange grey haze. Sometime later he had heard the door open again and the brief whisper of voices before they also faded.
Not long after more voices intruded upon his sleep and though he tried to ignore them they were persistent. He found himself drawn towards them. The second sense he regained as the voices nagged at his consciousness was that of touch. He felt fur against his chest and cloth against his legs. It pricked at his skin and he tried to throw the irritating objects off of him but, to his frustration, they were always brought back.
He was suddenly too hot and his skin too sensitive making him thrash, desperate to free himself of the constricting things. Something pressed against him and he protested weakly, trying to wriggle free. Words came at him that he couldn’t understand through the haze and he felt something heavy across his chest.
The third sense he regained was smell and he quieted as he recognized the peculiar combination of scents that only belonged to Ivan. He heard more words and felt a gentle hand against his cheek. He turned towards it, enjoying the feel of coolness against his too hot skin.
The fourth sense to return was taste as he felt something cool and wet brushed against his lips. Opening them he gladly accepted the water he was given. It washed away a stale taste he hadn’t realized resided in his mouth. When his second drink yielded a strangely sweet liquid he tried to turn from it but it followed him and he finally accepted it into his body. More water followed and satisfied he dropped back through the haze into true sleep.
It did not last, however, as old fears and images plagued him and he struggled to consciousness to escape them. Finally sight returned to him and he found himself staring blankly at the man atop him. He tried to sit up but a thin hand held him down. He frowned, not fully understanding the signals that his body was giving him.
Ivan stroked wet locks back from his forehead and he realized with a start that his body was coated in sweat. The realization brought back the feeling of being too hot and he pushed weakly at the blankets covering him.
“Don’t.” Ivan said, pulling the covers back to his chin.
“Too hot.” He murmured surprised at how much energy two simple words stole from him.
His master nodded but did not relent. “You have a fever that comes and goes. Just lie still.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to make sense of his body. It ached in a way he had not felt since he was a child and he coughed when a deep breath rattled in his chest. Painful pressure flared across his upper body and he curled up, trying to relieve it. Ivan stroked his back softly and he relaxed as the pain subsided.
“Why do I hurt so?” He whispered, closing his eyes.
He felt Ivan shift next to him and he opened his eyes as a hand caressed his cheek. “You’re ill, love.”
He tried to shake his head but he couldn’t find enough energy for the act. “I don’t get ill. Magic.” He whispered, shivering as his body suddenly decided it was too cold.
Ivan tucked the covers underneath him in what Trey was beginning to suspect was a nervous habit. “I know but it seems your late night bath was enough to weaken your bto tto the point where even the healing magic within you couldn’t stop it,” he paused for a moment and Trey saw a fierce look cross his face, “Ye gie given me quite a scare.”
He smiled wanly and wriggled his hand free so that he could place it on the tsar’s knee. “I’ll be alright.”
Ivan covered Trey’s hand with one of his own, staring at him intently. “You’ve been shouting in your sleep.”
Trey frowned, glancing away. “Have I?”
“Yes.”
He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, momentarily surprised to find it supple and free of the small bites that usually peppered it. At least it appeared the magic in his veins hadn’t completely left him. “What have I said?”
Ivan shook his head. “I am not sure. It was in a language I do not know.”
Trey sighed in relief, turning to bury his face in the soft pillow. “I am sure it wasn’t important.”
“It sounded important.” Ivan replied, green eyes narrowing slightly.
Forcing himself to smile, Trey weakly lifted his hand. Ivan took it and Trey pulled him close enough to brush a kiss across his master’s forehead. “It’s alright.”
Ivan looked like he wanted to protest but the tsar kept his peace. Trey settled back against the pillows and promptly fell back to sleep. Reaching out to stroke the tangled mass of red curls Ivan watched over his slave.
When Byeley had come to tell him that Trey had failed to eat breakfast he had waved it off. Trey had told him he hadn’t slept well so he had half expected such a thing. He had just given orders for a larger than normal lunch to be prepared and sent his guard and servant away. A few hours later Byely had returned with the knowledge that Trey had not eaten lunch and showed no signs of having woken. Again he had passed it off, knowing that the previous day had been a stressful one for his slave.
He had, however, decided to sneak off during the afternoon break after he had finished his correspondence with Tsar Dedumil asking vaguely about transfiguring to wake his sleeping lover and coax him into eating. It had been a task he had failed miserably at. Trey refused to be woken despite Ivan’s best attempts and one touch of the flushed skin was all Ivan had needed to realize that Trey had fallen ill.
He’d been loathed to summon a healer but he had been left with no choice. Trey’s intrinsic healing powers normally protected him from such things but it seemed to have failed this time so Ivan had summoned a healer who had provided medicine and stunned silence as Trey’s body began to heal itself of the fever after only a day.
That had been when the nightmares had begun. At least Ivan assumed it was nightmares for he knew of nothing else that would cause the larger man to cry out in such a way. He had been unaware that Trey knew a language different from the one they spoke and from the ease of the way such strange syllables twisted off the man’s tongue Ivan was beginning to wonder if their language was even his native one.
All night he had sat, listening to the flowing words, unsure somet of of where one word stopped and another began and he had realized how truly little he knew of the man sleeping beside him. He knew Trey had traveled extensively before running afoul of his father and he knew the man had some skill at playing a flute-like wind instrument but thas aas all.
He realized he didn’t even know how Trey had survived his father’s beating long enough to get to the fruit in the orchard.
Ivan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wanted to know more about the man who shared his bed but he didn’t want to remind Trey of the life he had been forced to leave behind. The red haired man was given to fits of depression and Ivan was sure being forced to dwell on what had been taken from him would drive his firebird back into moody silence and listless service. He wanted his slave to serve him but he hated it when the fiery man acted as though he were just another piece of furniture to be ordered around.
“My lord?”
What is it Byely?” He asked, looking up at his guardian wearily.
“The lady, Maryushka, wishes to speak with you.”
Ivan cursed himself for a fool. He had completely forgotten the woman’s presence. “I will see her. Bring my lunch to her room.”
Byely bowed and disappeared through the open doorway. Reaching out to touch Trey’s sweat damp brow he stood and extinguished the candles on his departure. He closed the door, missing the sound of the latch. With the comings and goings of the healer and servant he had released the lock that normally sealed his firebird off from the world.
Straightening his robes he strode down the hallway to meet with his unwanted guest.
**
Trey woke up to the feeling of hands caressing his chest. Normally he would have basked in such a pleasurable touch but this touch felt wrong. He struggled to open his eyes and stared up to find out what was bothering him.
Instead of a familiar black haired tsar he met the gaze of a foreign brown haired woman. She smiled at him and her fingers roughly tugged at his nipples. With a cry he tried to pull away from her but his strength failed him and he only succeeded in jerking a few inches away from her. She scowled and struck him. There was no real power behind it but it startled him long enough for her to climb up and straddle his waist.
“I know you like this so stop fighting it, you.” She hissed at him, leaning over him and pressing a wet kiss against his lips.
Fear and disgust coursed through him and he shoved her hard. She tumbled off the edge of the bed with a shriek. He thrashed through the furs and blankets to the other edge of the bed when dizziness over took him and he fell to his knees as the world spun about him.
Nails dug into his shoulder and he cried out in pain as the woman tried to force his head up. Another kiss was forced upon him and he pushed weakly at her, trying to dislodge her smaller body. His forearm caught her and forced her off balance, sending her toppling into the delicate dinning table and causing a shower of glass to rain down to the floor as empty plates shattered around her.
The brown haired woman cried out and tried to protect herself from the shards. She glared at him from under her arms. “I’ll tell your master you forced me! You’ll be beaten for this!” She shrieked at him.
Panic flooded through him at the knowledge that he’d physically forced the woman from him and that Ivan would indeed be angry about the situation. He couldn’t think straight but when the woman started to stand the panic took control of him and he escaped out of the open door and into the hall. He heard her screaming for the guards and he fled.
He came across a crossway and froze, unsure of where to go. He heard voices along the path he was currently on so he turned down the new corridor, desperate to avoid people. The palace was a maze and he did not know where he was going but he fled anyway. The woman was right, his master would be furious with him and he had no wish to be caught. He needed to get somewhere quiet where he could think, where he could force the fog in his mind to relent and let him try to make sense of what was happening. He needed to hide.
A half hidden stairway rose to his left and he fled up it, finding the dark upper level appealing. He froze as he heard footsteps at the bottom of the stairs but they passed by and he continued on in a panicked haze.
**
Ivan frowned deeply when a firm knock on the door was followed immediately by an anxious Byely who asked for an audience. He voiced his apologies to the lady who nodded and slipped away to one of the inner rooms. Ivan turned to demand an exclamation but his words were pre-empted by his guardian.
“Your slave is gone.”
Ivan’s mouth snapped shut and he stared at the man for a moment. Could Trey have really fled him? Would Trey flee? “Gone? What do you mean?” He demanded, standing.
Byely bowed his head as he passed before falling into step behind him. “A servant says he attacked her and when she fo him him he fled.”
Ivan glanced over his shoulder incredulously. “Attacked her? He could barely speak less than an hour ago and he has been abed for over two days.”
The guard shrugged. “I do not know my lord. I have sent men to find him and bring him back.”
“He is not to be harmed.” He warned.
Byely nodded. “I told them.”
“Where is this servant?” Ivan demanded.
“In the rooms, my lord.”
“Good.” He was silent the rest of the way, glancing in empty rooms to make sure his missing slave was not in any of them. In his rooms he paused to study the damage. Broken glass and scattered blankets caught his attention before he focused on the sobbing servant. He frowned as he approached her.
“What happened here?” He demanded.
The servant peered up at him and he saw her tremble before she flung herself at his feet. “He attacked me, my lord! I tried to stop him but he was too strong!”
He growled and stepped away from her in disgust. “I do not know you. What is she doing here?” He asked, turning to Byely.
Byely shook his head. “I do not know her either, my lord.”
“Who are you?”
The woman glanced up at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the floor. “I am Manya . . .”
“I don’t care what your name is,” Ivan snapped, “What are you doing here?”
She trembled slightly. “I brought water . . .”
“I asked for no water.”
Manya stared at him and began to stutter out another excuse but Ivan cut her off.
“What did you do to him, Manya?” He asked quietly.
She shuddered at the ice in his voice. “Nothing he . . .”
Ivan snarled and caught her arm, making her gasp in pain. “Liar!” He hissed. “What did you do to him?”
The servant collapsed into a weeping puddle. “I didn’t do anything! He seduced me, I told him no but he wouldn’t stop! He used me to escape!” She wailed.
Ivan flung her down with a curse and stormed out of the room. “Get rid of her. I don’t care what you do but I don’t ever want to see her again.”
Byely bowed. “Yes my lord.”
“Which way did he go?” Ivan asked, peering down the hall.
“Right, my lord.”
Nodding his understanding Ivan paced down the hall, peering into rooms and calling out softly. The palace was huge and there were literally hundreds of rooms but he could discount most of them. Trey was afraid of people; he wouldn’t have fled towards them. He would have gone somewhere uninhabited where he could hide.
He only prayed that Trey hadn’t found a way outside, else his firebird might be lost to him forever.