Who is she? And why’d she call Jonathan… Unable to help herself, Daine giggled. She’d remember that look on Jonathan’s face forever! Daine turned her thoughts to that strange woman – who was she and what did she want with Numair?
Daine stopped running when she saw that Numair and the woman had stopped in the library. Daine entered it silently, ears perked. She hid behind a shelf of books and listened.
>>>J<<<
Arram faced Serena, trying to calm his frayed nerves. “Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?” he said in a clipped, strained voice. “What are you doing here?”
Serena raised an eyebrow. “From the beginning, eh? Very well…when you left Carthak after the Emperor pressed charges, I returned to the Copper Isles. I finished my education in a College of Sorcery, and then I went to freshen up my skills as a princess of the crown. Then my parents arranged for me to be betrothed – I married a Prince of the Copper Isles. He was my cousin twice removed. Then he died of some mysterious ailment and I came here, looking for you.”
“Why?” Arram hissed. “Why did you have to look for me?”
“Arram, my sweet,” Serena purred, running her hand across Arram’s face affectionately. “Have you forgotten what we had in Carthak? Both of us – innocent youngsters – lonely in the university. We met during a festival and shared one night of hot, undenied sexual pleasure. One night turned into two, three, four…we lost count after all those years.”
Arram gulped. His eyes kept on flicking around the dark room, as if he was afraid of someone overhearing them. Serena ignored his antics, her eyes glued on his face.
“Before you left…remember that night? You said: don’t worry, I’ll be back when this blows over. You never did return…and I got worried. You said that you wanted this relationship to continue – I assumed that you meant getting engaged, then married, and raising a family of our own –“
“You assumed wrongly,” Arram yelped. “I’m very sorry, Serena, but what we had is over. It’s been over for ten years. Ten years! Don’t tell me you have not found someone else to pour your affections on!”
“No, I haven’t.” Serena paused, then snarled, “Why, have you?”
Arram took a step back. He was so nervous and guilty that his mind couldn’t grasp any thing. He didn’t even remember that Serena was a powerful mage. He couldn’t recall any spells that would aid him. The only thing that reached his frightened conscious was that he was engaged to another woman.
“Have you?” Serena pressed, pressing Arram towards a wall.
Arram didn’t reply.
“ANSWER ME, DAMN YOU!”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to,” said a new voice, cool and collected. Serena whirled around to face a young, slim woman. Her tan skin was pale with a hot emotion – anger.
“Who are you?” Serena asked quietly. The woman ducked her head.
“Daine Sarrasri, the Wildmage and betrothed to Numair Salmalin.”
“Ah…the bastard who shares her bed with animals,” Serena said sharply. Daine frowned, her eyes glinting.
“Since you know me so well, may I have the…pleasure…of knowing who you are?” Daine asked.
“I am Her Royal Highness, Princess Serena of the Copper Isles.”
Daine didn’t acknowledge the royalty. Instead, she walked past Serena and took Arram’s hand. “Come with me.”
They started to walk towards the exit but Serena barred their way. She grabbed onto Daine and shoved her aside.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” Serena spat.
“I’m taking my fiancé back where he belongs!” Daine snarled. It took a moment for this to sink in.
“Your…fiancé? Arram is your fiancé?” Serena gasped. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” She collapsed into a burst of wild laughter. Daine narrowed her eyes.
“Numair is my fiancé. I don’t know about Arram…I think that person is in the dustbin in Carthak. You might want to check there.”
That did it. Serena paled and clenched her fists in anger. “How dare you! Arram – or Numair – is mine! He always was and always will be mine!”
Daine snorted. “Oh yes. Varice Kingsford, Milaina of Coldhill. Natasha of Four Roads. Myrtle, Melanie, Melody, and Menna – the four daughters of Lord Davide. Yenna, the Prostitute of Corus – yes, I’m sure Numair belongs to you and only you.” She shook her head. “Times have changed, your highness.”
By this time Numair was a bright pink color, but when the two women began shouting he turned a strange purple.
“He’s mine!” Serena shouted.
“NO, he isn’t!”
“YES, he is!”
“He is MINE!” Daine yelled.
“Ladies, I’m not a toy,” Numair cut in mildly. Serena and Daine glared at him and said in a single voice,
“SHUT UP!”
Numair gulped and obeyed, looking like a chagrined little boy.
“Now, your ladyship, you are to march that little butt of yours out of this room and you’ll never approach my fiancé again!” Daine snapped.
“Never!” shrieked Serena like a cat.
Daine’s eyes flared with uncontained rage. With a snarl of pure animal, she jumped on top of Serena. Serena stepped back just in time to gesture and with the light of a pink Gift, Daine was sent flying to a wall, where she collided with a sickening thud.
That was enough to unfreeze Numair from his shocked position. He ran to the limp figure on the floor and gathered her in his arms.
“Daine. Daine, wake up,” he said harshly, rocking her slightly. “Wake up!”
“She’s not going to,” Serena snickered; Numair turned and saw the woman smiling insanely.
“What do you mean?” Numair whispered.
“I added enough Gift to stun her into a deep, deep sleep. Coma is more like it.”
Numair’s temper rose and he jumped up (A/N and, I might add mildly, dropping Daine heavily on the floor in the process!) and approached Serena, his outstretched hand glowing with his Gift.
He made the throwing motion; the black Gift sped towards Serena, but was intervened by a violet flame. Numair growled with wrath when Alanna stood in front of Serena, a wall of protection between them.
“Alanna, if you want to keep your health, move out of the way,” Numair said in a dangerously soft voice.
“Numair, think!” Alanna snapped. “Are you trying to create a war? ‘Cause that’s what’s gonna happen if you kill this little wench!”
Serena glared and pointed a finger enveloped in pink flames at Alanna, who gestured. The flame disappeared and Alanna turned to Serena.
“You, madam, are to return to whatever godforsaken place whence you came.”
“But – no – Alanna – Daine,” Numair stuttered, looking like a lost little…kitten. Alanna sighed and added in a silky voice to Serena,
“If she dies, you die too. Got it? Now scat!”
With a sniff and her chin high in the air, Serena swept out of the library. Alanna muttered something under her breath then walked placidly to the figure that was Daine.
Quickly, the Lioness checked the Wildmage’s breathing and pulse and swore softly. Numair, like a frantic mother hen dotting over her chicks, hovered over her.
“What’s wrong? She’s not going to die? She’s not going to lose a limb, is she? ‘Cause if she is, if she dies-“
“Hush, Numair. Daine’s not going to die…she just has a…” the rest was lost under Alanna’s breath. Numair had to lean in to hear her finish: “…very bad concussion.”
With a grunt, Alanna lifted Daine and slung her over her shoulder, ignoring the muttering mage. She took the woman to the healers, where Duke Baird proceeded to clear away the line of blood that had trickled down from Daine’s head.
Alanna had to hold Numair with her magic to prevent him from breaking down the door that separated him from his fiancé…
>>>J<<<
Everything was fuzzy…Daine moaned softly as she opened her eyes.
Since when have I been on a ship?, she thought distractedly. Only ships make your vision sway like this…
“Ah, you’re up!” a gruff voice cut through the air. Daine smiled weakly at Alanna.
“It appears so,” she replied softly. When she tried to sit up, a jolt of pain ran down her neck until it reached her backbone and she stifled a yelp of pain. But Daine’s face obviously didn’t fool Alanna, because the knight pushed her down gently.
“I guess I’d better not move, eh?” Daine asked quietly.
Alanna nodded grimly. “You shouldn’t even be talking, youngling. That blow’s given you a bad concussion – don’t be surprised if the room starts to sway when I let you walk.”
Daine nodded. Suddenly, everything came back to her. “Serena – engaged – where’s Numair?” Daine asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “I have a few words to say to him…and none of them are ‘Goddess bless’.”
Alanna, after giving her a strange look, went to the door and said, “You can release him.” To answer Daine’s inquiring glance, she said, “The man was so worried that we had to restrain him.”
Daine chuckled, but silenced herself when Numair entered the room, looking drawn and worried. She avoided his eyes when he bent down and hugged her tightly…but bit her lip hard when the movement jolted her sore bones.
Luckily, Alanna saw everything. She roughly pushed the mage away, with a hiss.
“She’s hurting, can’t you see?”
Numair looked down, for all the world a lost puppy. (A/N I seem to like comparing him with cute, pathetic things: a kitten, a little boy, and a puppy!)
Alanna left the room and Numair started his flow of talk.
“Magelet, how’re you feeling? I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up, as you were sleeping for five days straight! I’m so angry…I could strangle Serena but I don’t know where she is! For that matter, I don’t know why she came! She was my girlfriend a decade ago…I don’t know where she got the idea that we were still a couple! Magelet, how’re you feeling? I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up, as you were sleeping for five days –“
“Numair, enough! You’re repeating yourself! And I’m getting a migraine,” Daine exclaimed, pressing a hand over Numair’s mouth. The man silenced with an embarrassed look and gave her a kiss. Daine almost melted but stopped herself before turning into a pool of honey. She shoved him away.
“When were you going to tell me about that one, Numair?” she demanded harshly. Numair blushed and stayed quiet. “Were you never going to tell me? Or were you just waiting until our wedding to tell me?”
“Daine…it was over with her way before I met you! How was I supposed to know she was coming for me! I thought she was married – and she was – but her husband’s dead.”
“Yes, I’m sure she killed him,” Daine muttered dryly. “The way she struck me, I’m surprised I’m not in the Black God’s realm.”
“She wouldn’t dare kill you,” Numair said softly. “She knows how over protective I get over my…girlfriends –“
“Is that what I am to you? A simple girlfriend?” Daine cried in anger. “No longer your student, love, and fiancé? But your girlfriend?”
Numair pleaded, “No, I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just a broad enough word! Would you like it if I said ‘ my women’?”
“No,” Daine replied. “I’m sorry.”
“Humph…I hope you are,” Numair said. Daine frowned.
“What more do you want! I’m sorry, Master Salmalin, that I insulted you with my petty apologies! I – wait, why the hell am I apologizing to you? You should be apologizing to me!” Daine sat back on her pillows, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrows raised.
Numair sighed. “Daine, I’m very sorry that I hurt you. I promise that I’ll never keep such a thing from you again.” He leaned forward and gave her a deep kiss. When Daine had her arms wrapped around him, he lifted her off the bed and walked out of the room.
“Is that good enough for you?” he murmured. “Or do I need to go further?”
“No,” Daine whispered. “It’s just fine.” Daine pressed her lips back to her fiancé’s and kept them there as he took her back to her room.
>>>J<<<
Serena collapsed in her bed, wiping tears of laughter away from her eyes. It had been so funny…seeing the look on Arram’s face when she whipped that lil’ slut’s ass!
Numair, she corrected. He goes by Numair…Numair Salmalin if I remember correctly.
That’s right. She sat up, a frown creasing her beautiful face. Tortall’s greatest mage. I wonder if he’s more powerful than dear old Roger…when he was alive they called him ‘Tortall’s greatest mage. Roger was a wonderful lover…just think that he was a virgin when he first came to my bed. I took care of that quick enough… But Numair…
She let out a blissful sigh, remembering how…experienced Arram – Numair! – was in…nocturnal activities… No one, not even Roger could claim the title ‘Woman’s Man.’
That thought made Serena bristle. Daine Sarrasri had said that Numair did live up to his title…she implied it, rather. She recalled the names:
“Varice Kingsford,” she held up one finger. “Milaina of Coldhill,” she held up another finger. “Natasha of Four Roads,” three fingers were up now. “Myrtle, Melanie…”
And so it went on until she had a total of eight fingers up.
And those are all the important ones. If he’s slept with so many of those…imagine how many unimportant women he’s screwed. And his fiancé…she’s half his age! Arram – shit, it’s NUMAIR!!! – has he turned into a cradle robber?
With that comforting line of thoughts, Serena got up and walked around her room in the inn. The walls shone with a dim pink light – Serena had warded her room so none of the palace mages would detect her being here.
She fingered a ring she wore. It was made of silver and had a tiny silver fang attached to it, instead of a diamond or coat of arms. The silver fang belonged to the jackal god, Teb. He was her mentor…the fang was to link them together.
“Teb…I need to talk to you,” Serena whispered.
She sat down and waited. A few minutes later, a silver light gathered. Serena had to shield her eyes until the light disappeared, leaving only the small predator called Teb.
What is it, Pup? he asked in an annoyed tone.
“Teb, I need some help,” Serena whispered. Teb growled.
I’m not here to pull you out of every screw-up you get yourself into, Serena! he warned.
“I know…I know…but I thought Father put you here to give me advice!” she snapped back.
Weiryn put me here to… he cocked his head, thinking. Matter of fact, Weiryn put me here to… oh, all right, you’re right. Again. Teb said grudgingly. He hated being wrong and Serena couldn’t help but smile. I’m here to give you advice and to pull you out of every screw-up you get yourself into…which happens every two months.
Serena scowled. “Are you going to help me or what?”
Okay. What’s the problem this time? Teb asked amusedly. Serena flung herself back to her bed and recounted the entire story of her relationship with Arram, how they parted, their time apart, how she’d found him again…
“And now I find he’s engaged!” she wailed in a finale. “To none other than the Wildmage herself!”
Uhoh…
Serena flicked her eyes to Teb and kept them there. “What the hell do you mean: UHOH?”
Nothing, nothing…
“TELL ME!!!”
WATCH YOUR TRAP, PUP! Teb snarled violently. Do not forget I am a god and you are but a mere mortal…never mind that you are the daughter of a lesser god and a witch!
Serena looked down, turning crimson. “Forgive me. I did forget.”
That was obvious, Teb retorted. Now, to your question, I said ‘uhoh’ because the Wildmage is a very powerful mage in the art of wildmagic – hence the name.
“I have wildmagic,” Serena said quietly.
Yes, and you can only hear and talk to jackals, Teb said sarcastically. No, no, listen to me, Serena. The Wildmage can talk to, hear, heal, and shapeshift into any animal…well…not an immortal. No one sane can do that.
Serena sighed dejectedly. “Arram – Numair! – never knew that I had wildmagic…he was crazy about learning all he could about it. No wonder he finds that…child…so appealing!”
Perhaps. But that’s not the point.
“And what is the point?” Serena snapped.
Teb sighed mentally. I detected, while you were speaking, in your voice that you want to hurt her.
“I do. I want to crush Daine. I want to wring her neck the way the cooks in the kitchens wring a chicken’s neck. I want to blast her with my Gift. I want to rip her, limb by limb. I want to stab her in front of everyone. I want –“
You want, you want. The world doesn’t revolve on the likes of ‘you want’. Besides, you can’t kill her.
“Why not?” Serena asked in a tone that dared Teb to try and stop her. “I have magic, don’t I? I have the brains, the guts, and the nerve, don’t I?”
You are her sister, aren’t you? Teb asked dryly.
Serena had gotten up from her bed to get a cup of water – now she dropped it.
“I’m her WHAT!?!” she shrieked.
Daine Sarrasri is your sister…half-sister if you want to get technical. You mean you didn’t know? Teb laughed cruelly.
“No,” Serena whispered, shaking. “I never knew…no one ever told me…why didn’t Mother ever say anything?”
‘Cause Daine’s not her daughter.
“You mean…Weiryn had another daughter.” It wasn’t a question.
Of course he did! Teb snorted. Weiryn just goes after women when he’s not hunting. Daine’s ma is his mate now.
Serena’s eyes filled with tears. “And I thought I was an only child. Father never told me.”
Teb shook his head. So, what do you want to do about Daine? Are you going to get your lover back?
Serena sighed and sat on a chair, mind working. Then, in a dangerously soft voice, she said, “I’m going to wait and pull only the thinnest of strings. Then I’ll strike.”
>>>J<<<
“I want up,” Daine said, yawning. Numair, lying under the covers with her, shook his head.
“No. You spent too long on your feet yesterday until you were all but a leaf in the wind. You’re still too weak to go running around.”
Daine growled. “Not fair. You know I can’t stay on my back – speaking of my back, something’s poking it. Since I’m so weak and helpless, would you mind taking it out from under it?”
Grinning crookedly, Numair sat up, revealing disarrayed hair and a bare chest. “Sure,” was all he said before he rolled Daine over. With a yelp, Daine tumbled onto the floor.
“Ooops,” Numair whispered.
“’Ooops’ is right,” retorted Daine, standing and rubbing her backside. “You asked for it!” She did a flying leap back into bed and started whacking Numair with her pillow.
Their violent pillow-fight lasted for a while. It was stopped when someone knocked heavily on their door. Grumbling, Numair got up (wrapping himself with a sheet first) and went to open it.
Alanna stood outside. A knowing smile spread on her face when she saw Numair. “Am I interrupting something?” she asked dryly.
“As a matter of fact –“ Numair started, but Daine interrupted.
“No, do come in!” she called.
Alanna did – and her smile widened when she saw Daine lying in bed, a blanket drawn around her.
“Numair, I thought I told you she needed bed rest,” the Lioness scolded with a laugh. Numair blushed.
“But it’s been clinically proven that *** (TV censoring works now – but not when Eminem shouts his obscene lyrics into the mike) *** can improve one’s health!” Numair said. Daine joined Alanna in the laughter.
Numair left the room to get dressed. Wrapping the blanket around her, Daine got up.
“So, why are you here?”
“There’s a letter for you,” Alanna replied, handing it to Daine, who didn’t open it.
“Any page or servant could’ve delivered this. Why you? There’s something else, right?’
Alanna nodded. “Just wanted to check on you. You seem fine – which is amazing because you spent a night with Numair – but your eyes are a little unfocused. Can you see?”
“I see fine,” Daine said. Alanna nodded then left. Daine, shaking her head, sat down and opened the letter.
~*~ I know something you don’t know! ~*~
That’s what it said.
Daine put it down in shock. What the heck…? Who? What?
Numair, reentering and fully dressed, saw her face. “What’s wrong?”
Wordlessly, she handed the parchment – which smelled slightly of lavender – to Numair, who read it and swore violently.
“The @$#%…><^&*&$#@/|\&….****”
“What?”
“Nothing,” Numair replied silently. Daine looked at him with an annoyed statement. “Excuse me? But people don’t say @$#%…><^&*&$#@/|\&….**** when it’s nothing.”
“I – I was just practicing my speech for when I – for when I go to the – the fish market.”
“Yeah. Right.” Daine hurriedly put on some clothes. “Look, I’m gonna go to the city, see if I can get some oil for Kit’s scales.”
She left the room. Numair smelled the lavender and growled angrily. “Serena,” he muttered.
>>>J<<<
Instead of going into the busy part of the city, Daine went to the fields near the Royal Forest. It was a place she often went when she needed to think. Such was a time.
Daine sat down near a gurgling stream and dangled her feet in it. She lay back with a sigh.
“Well, well, well. Look who decided to pay a visit.”
Daine jumped up when she heard the cold, sneering voice.
“Who’s there?” she said quietly.
“Who do you think?” replied the voice. A moment later, a woman walked out from the trees. Daine snarled.
“Serena.”
“Daine.”
“What do you want?”
Serena smiled, fluttering her eyelashes. “You got my note?”
“It was you who sent it?”
Serena nodded with a cruel smile. “Yep.”
“Okay,” Daine crossed her arms over her chest. “So what do you know that I don’t?”
Her smile getting bigger, Serena circled Daine. “Think about it. Your fiancé, Numair, before he met you, used to go after blondes. Why? Because they’re…well…they have a certain magnet that attracts them. Before he came here, he and I were lovers. Hah, I was the only one who kept him in her bed for more than two weeks.”
Daine’s eyes narrowed warningly, but Serena ignored her and continued. “I don’t know why he was suddenly attracted to a brunette, but it certainly did turn him on. Blondes are just a temporary toy for him. In the long run, Numair likes brunettes.”
(A/N Okay, I need to interrupt here. I’m a blonde, so don’t think that I hate them. I don’t. I’m just writing this for the story.)
“What are you going on about?” Daine snapped. “I’m a brunette, so what’s your point?”
“Don’t you get it?” Serena asked – Daine shook her head. “Your only my replacement. Sooner or later, he’ll realize that he doesn’t want a baby like you. He’ll want older, sophisticated me!”
“Fine,” Daine said coldly. “Okay, here’s a question. If what you say is true – hopefully it’s not – why would he choose me as your replacement? I am nothing like you!”
Serena leaned in. “Because you’re my sister,” she whispered. “That’s what I know that you didn’t. That’s why he chose you – you remind him of me. He couldn’t have me because I was married – before I killed the bastard – so Numair settled for the next best thing!”
Daine stumbled back. “No,” she said harshly. “No! I – I have nothing to do with you! You – you’re an insane bitch from the Copper Isles – of course you’d make some shit like this up! No, I don’t believe you!”
Serena smirked. “You’d better.”
“But…but ma always said –“
“Oh, I’m not related to your whore-mother. No, no, no!”
“You – you mean…”
“Yes. Weiryn is my father. He’s your father. I wonder how many other illegitimate children he has?”
Daine was white. She could feel herself shaking. Her voice shaked. “But my ma is his mate, now. They’re married gods!”
Serena shrugged. “So what? I’m still your sister –“
“Half-sister!” Daine yelled, pointing a finger at her. “And I don’t care! Numair loves me for me and that is that! I don’t want anything to do with you! Who cares if the blood of the same god runs through our veins? I don’t!”
“Neither do I!” Serena snapped. “But it seems that I was denied in the wildmagic department.”
“You don’t have wildmagic?”
Shaking her head, Serena replied, “No. Not like you. I can only hear and talk to the children of my mentor.”
“And that is?” pressed Daine, determined to find out.
“Nono…I’m not going to tell you. But-“ Serena grinned and examined a nail. “I have the Gift, and plenty of it. Unlike you.”
Daine crept away from her sister. “You leave me alone. Hear me? Otherwise, I’ll tell Numair. I’ll tell the king!”
“Ah yes. The ass-hole with the big nose.”
Despite the situation, Daine had to fight to keep from laughing. “No,” she blurted. “The strong mage with the blue eyes.”
Serena gestured: a pink flame appeared in her hand. “You can’t tell them while you’re here with me,” she said. “I’m going to let you go. But don’t you dare tell anyone that we’re sisters.”
“Try and stop me,” Daine gasped.
“Okay.” Serena snapped her finger and Daine stiffened. “I have just put a sealing spell on you. You know that we’re sisters but you only know it in an unconscious way. From this moment, you are unable to say that we share blood of any kind. So mote it be.”
She snapped her fingers again and Daine slumped to the ground, out cold.
>>>J<<<
Alanna was busy cleaning her sword when a frantic looking Numair interrupted her.
“Alanna, have you seen Daine?” he asked. Alanna met his dark, worried eyes with her violet ones.
“No,” she answered slowly. “But I’d think she’d be –“
“She’s not!” Numair blurted.
“Well, you don’t know what I was gonna suggest, so of course –“
“No, she not in the palace! I’ve checked everywhere!”
Alanna frowned. “I though you had a focus.”
“I had an allergy and Daine ordered me to take it off! Then she locked it somewhere,” Numair replied, while thinking, When I find Daine I’m gonna tell her to stop telling everyone that I have a focus of her. Then I’m gonna ask her where it is. Then I’m gonna dump her into bed…He shook himself so ‘those’ thoughts would stop flowing.
Alanna stood with a groan, her hand rubbing her lower back. Seeing Numair’s puzzled look, she sighed and said, “I may be in my mid-thirties and I may be a very physically fit warrior, but I have wounded and strained myself several times, O Great One. I hurt too.”
Numair grinned. “Can we just go and find Daine? Please?”
With a grim nod, Alanna and Numair left the palace and used their Gifts to search for the missing woman. After an hour or so, Alanna shook her head, her Gift partly spent.
“Numair, I’m sure she’s just out in the woods gossiping with the squirrels,” she said wearily. “She’s been late before –“
“Yes, but never late with a partly-healed concussion!” Numair yelped. Alanna shrugged.
“You’re worrying over nothing, you hear? I’m going to bed, it’s late.” Alanna returned to the palace. But Numair, being Numair, went out to the Royal Forest’s edge and kept on looking.
He was approaching a stream when he saw a lump on the ground. Eyes narrowed, he ran to it and found that it was only Daine, sleeping.
“Daine,” he murmured, shaking her. The young woman muttered something, her eyes fluttering open. “Daine, wake up.”
“Mmmm…Numair!” Daine sat up, her face startled. “Where…? When…? Why…how long have I been here?”
“You tell me,” Numair replied, sitting down next to her. “I’ve been looking for you all day.”
Daine’s face was confused. “But I was just waking up in bed with you, then Alanna came in and I went to the city to buy some oil for Kit…how did I end up here?” She looked up at the sky and jumped to her feet. “And, Goddess, it’s so dark already. Honestly, the hours just keep on slipping by!” She started muttering things under her breath unaware that Numair was sending her strange looks.
“Aha…let’s just go to bed, okay?” he took hold of his fiancé by her arm and dragged her back to the palace. Daine was arguing with him, saying things like,
“But I just woke up…I…I forgot what I was going to say…what is it…it just slipped my mind…dammit, I almost knew…AAARGH!!!” she shouted. Startled, Numair plopped her into her bed and looked her straight in the eye.
“Daine.”
“Numair.”
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???” he asked loudly. Daine stared at him innocently.
“Whatever do you mean, Numair?” she asked.
“You’ve been talking nonsense all day…I knew I let you exercise too much…sleep. Now.”
“But I-“
Numair snapped his finger, sending a black spark to Daine’s head and she fell asleep. Again.