| A New Beginning |
| Evil Wizard Keenan Series - One |
| Things were finally settling in around the dark castle. Lord Malorian had died in a most spectacular way, leaving room for a powerful family of evil mages to take power in his place. Lady Elayne was both a wise leader and strong enough to reunite the scattered forces of the evil mages. In the past few months she had managed to gather most of the evil mages back to her and show them that she could do whatever it took to further her cause. Unlike past leaders, she didn�t seek wanton destruction or power for its own sake. Instead, she sought only to improve the lives of those who worked for her. She saw the rules set up by the good mages as pointless and foolish. What was the point, she reasoned, in being able to wield amazing power if you weren�t allowed to do anything with it? As more mages rallied beneath her flag, word spread that the new leader was looking for a consort � a powerful, yet biddable, wizard with whom she could share her power. It wasn�t that Keenan wanted the position, or even thought he had a chance of obtaining such a rank. It was merely that he happened to be in the right place at the right time � or the wrong time, depending on how you looked at it. ** The sun was shining brightly and Keenan was in the library of the Dark Castle. He was searching for the second volume of a book he held in his hands. Dealing With Familiars, Volume One had been of little use to him. He already knew how to work his magic. What he needed to know was how to protect himself from evil spells directed at him or Bartholomew. �You,� a firm voice called. Keenan turned away from the shelf he was perusing and cocked his head to one side. Standing a few feet away was a tall woman with thick dark hair and piercing green eyes. Instead of the traditional mage robe, she wore a gown that hugged her curves until it reached her hips and then flared out into a full skirt. Keenan didn�t need anyone to tell him who this beautiful woman was. It was Lady Elayne and she was looking directly at him. �Yes, my lady?� he replied softly. �What�s your name?� the woman asked, coming to stand beside him. The young wizard blinked in surprise. He honestly hoped he hadn�t done anything to incur her wrath. The last person who�d done that had drowned in a sudden deluge � and he hadn�t even been outside at the time. �I�m Keenan Meadows, my lady,� he replied formally, bowing slightly. Much to Keenan�s surprise, Elayne laughed. �My, Master Keenan,� she said softly. �You�re so formal.� Keenan blushed and looked down at the book in his hands. �I � I�m not a master,� he admitted softly. Elayne scowled. �Who�s your teacher, little one?� she asked, immediately adopting the title that all masters used with apprentices. �I haven�t got one, My Lady,� Keenan replied, in an even softer voice. �He was killed many years ago, before I was turned.� The frown on Elayne�s face deepened. �Then you aren�t truly an evil mage,� she stated in confusion. �How did you come to be here?� She knew as well as anyone that the only apprentices in the Dark Castle were connected to evil masters. The mageling looked up into her eyes and smiled slightly. �The wizard who killed my master demanded that I return here with him. He said�� Suddenly, he broke off and looked away. �What did he say?� Elayne asked. She couldn�t help the overwhelming curiosity she felt about this young mage. �He said that I had great potential,� Keenan admitted quietly and without looking up. Elayne gently, yet firmly, took his chin in her hand and brought his eyes up to meet her own. Staring into the dark violet orbs, she could sense that it was quite true. This mage had amazing potential. �I�ll teach you,� she said silkily. Keenan swallowed the lump in his throat and whispered, �You � you will?� Elayne smiled. �You�re a Loyalian, aren�t you?� she asked. At his nod, she added, �Then I know that � if I should teach you � you would never betray me. Even if you were to become more powerful than me.� Patting him on the cheek, she added, �That is why your race is called Loyalian.� Keenan nodded mutely and pulled the book to his chest. He�d felt something when she�d touched him � a power he�d never known before � and he wondered if she felt it too. Her next words confirmed that she had. �Come to my chambers this evening,� she said, turning and quietly leaving the library. Keenan sighed and leaned against the bookshelf behind him. �She wants you to be her consort, Keenan,� a soft voice stated. The wizard nodded. �I know,� he replied. Turning to the speaker, he asked, �You know what I�ll have to do if she asks me?� A small brown rabbit nodded. �You�ll have to tell her everything,� it stated. �Bartholomew,� Keenan whispered. �What am I to do?! I�m a familiared wizard. We�re considered inferior to most wizards � what if� What if she casts me out?� Bartholomew knew what Keenan meant by the question. If Elayne cast him out of the Dark Castle, it wouldn�t simply be a matter of having to make his way on his own. The castle was surrounded by a forest of magic trees � of which Keenan was deathly afraid. The spirit-rabbit knew its master wouldn�t last long in such a place. �Somehow,� the rabbit said. �I don�t think she�ll do that. Not just because you have me.� Keenan sighed deeply. �How will she react when she learns I�m also a contact mage?� he moaned. Both the wizard and his familiar knew that contact mages � whose hands needed to be brought together to activate their spells � were very vulnerable to attack. Surely the most powerful evil mage would not want a consort who was both weak and inferior. �Don�t borrow trouble,� the rabbit said softly. �You never can tell. She may like that you�re vulnerable and may be in need of her protection.� �I don�t know what would scare me more,� Keenan mumbled sarcastically. Shaking his head, he turned back to the bookcase and began searching for the companion to the book he already held. ** �What � what do you suppose I should wear?� Keenan asked uncertainly, as he looked at the clothes in his wardrobe. �You know why she�s called you,� Batholomew replied, from where he sat on Keenan�s bed. �I�d suggest you go with something informal and comfortable.� Keenan sighed and glanced down at the long robes he was presently wearing. �This certainly doesn�t fit the bill then,� he decided. Somewhat hesitantly, he pulled a high-collared shirt and full-legged pants out of the wardrobe. He quietly pulled off his wizard robes and slipped into the �street clothes�. Once he�d added the cape, with its jeweled clip, he turned to face his familiar. �Well?� he asked. �The traditional garb of a Loyalian Wizard,� the rabbit mused. �What kind of statement are you trying to make?� Keenan frowned and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. �I don�t think I�m trying to make any statement, at least not intentionally.� Turning back to Bartholomew, he asked, �Too much, you think?� �No,� the rabbit chuckled. �I was just teasing. Now go. You don�t want to keep her waiting.� Keenan sighed and nodded. �No, I suppose not,� he said nervously. ** A short time later, Keenan stood just outside Elayne�s chamber door. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he knocked once and then stood back to wait. He only had to wait a few heartbeats before the door opened and Keenan realized that he�d been right to change out of his formal robes. The woman who stood before him was every inch the lady. Gone was the dark somber gown she�d worn earlier. Now, she wore a silken gown of green fabric. The light fabric did little to hide her many attributes and Keenan found himself blushing at the sight. Elayne�s hair was down around her shoulders and her green eyes shimmered in the candlelight. �Hello, Keenan,� Elayne said. �Come in.� As she said this, she stepped aside so that he could enter. The young wizard paused for the briefest moment as he took in the state of her main sitting room. The lighting was low, a meal was prepared and waiting for them and several candles burned in different corners of the room. From the heady aroma, Keenan could tell they were the kind of candles that kindled desire and wore down resistance. The stage was certainly set for her to seduce him into her bed. �I�d heard you were searching for a consort,� Keenan ventured bravely as he entered the room. He gazed around for a moment, then began chafing his hands. �You heard correctly,� Elayne purred, gently removing his cape and setting it on a table beside the door. Before Keenan could move out of reach, she took each of his hands in her own and pulled them away from each other. �None of that now,� she said softly. �N-none of what?� Keenan asked, staring up into her emerald eyes. He tried to pull free, but her hold was stronger than he�d anticipated. �Emory told me that you chafe your hands right before you teleport,� she replied. Keenan blinked in surprise. Emory was Elayne�s younger brother and second in command. He was aware that the other man had seen him use the teleportation spell, but that was months ago and he didn�t think Emory had made the connection between it and Keenan�s habit of wringing his hands when he was nervous. �How long have you been planning this,� he asked softly, relaxing in her grips. Elayne smiled slightly. �For some time, my pet,� she answered, leaning in close and pressing her body against his. �Are you going to behave or do I have to force the issue?� Keenan wasn�t sure if it was the drugs in the candles or the power he felt in her touch, but he shook his head slightly. �No, my lady,� he replied. �I � I won�t fight you.� �No spells either,� Elayne persisted. �Your word,� she added, knowing that he�d be incapable of breaking a vow. �My word,� Keenan replied meekly. �I won�t try to escape you using magic.� �Good,� Elayne purred, releasing her grip on his wrists. �Now, let�s enjoy this meal I had prepared.� Keenan nodded silently and headed over to the table. He pulled out a chair for Elayne and then sat in the chair beside hers. �How did you know?� he asked timidly. �My brother told me about the teleportation spell,� she replied evenly, pouring Keenan a glass of wine. �From what he said, I could tell that you are a contact wizard.� Keenan took a sip of the wine and looked sidelong at her. �That doesn�t bother you?� he asked softly. Elayne smiled. �Quite the contrary,� she purred, setting a hand on his thigh. As she moved the hand up his thigh to rest between his legs, Keenan�s body reacted to her touch in a way that he couldn�t control. �What - what�s in the wine?� he gasped. Elayne chuckled. �You are very astute for an apprentice, Keenan,� she purred. �It�s laced with a mild aphrodisiac.� �Not very mild when combined with the drugs in the candles,� the wizard retorted, still trying to regain control of himself. �Weren�t we going to eat?� he added, searching for a way out of the situation. �Yes,� Elayne said, drawing her hand away from him. �Of course we were.� Keenan sighed in relief and picked up his fork to eat the food. Suddenly, he was very hungry. He could already feel the drugs in the food beginning to wear at his will to fight. By the time the meal was finished, Keenan couldn�t have fought off Elayne�s advances if he tried and he didn�t really want to either. Glancing up at the beautiful seductress, he asked, �What�s for dessert? �You are,� she answered without hesitation. Elayne was quite a bit taller than Keenan was � a fact that did not surprise the young wizard, since the particular group of Loyalians that he belonged to were shorter than most of the other races. What did surprise him was just how strong the woman was. Before Keenan could react, Elayne stood and pulled him to his feet and then lifted him into her arms. She carried him into the bedroom and gently laid him down against the soft pillows. All around the bed burned more of the perfumed candles. Not waiting a moment more, the wizardess straddled Keenan and began to open the buttons that ran down the front of his shirt. �My lady,� Keenan breathed, catching her hands in his. �Please�� �Now, Keenan,� she scolded gently, pushing his hands so that they were above his head and holding them there. �You said you wouldn�t fight.� �And�and I won�t,� he replied softly. �But�I�d rather do this when�when I can be fully aware of what is happening. I want to know that you�ll enjoy it as much as I will.� Elayne sat back and frowned thoughtfully. �You wouldn�t just be trying to find a way out of this, would you?� she asked suspiciously. �No,� Keenan replied firmly. �It�s more than just the drugs that are making me want you, Elayne,� he whispered. �But I need to be sober to know what it is.� �What do you mean?� Elayne asked softly. Keenan sighed and sat up slightly. �Tell me you don�t feel it too and you can take me right now,� he offered. Elayne�s eyes widened. �I thought it was my imagination,� she breathed. �It isn�t,� Keenan replied, lying back against the pillows. �It�s some kind of power� of energy� that�s drawing us together.� Elayne nodded and rolled off of the smaller man. Wrapping him in a tight embrace, she said, �I�ll wait then, but you are my consort now.� �Yes, my lady,� Keenan replied meekly. �I won�t fight you, so there�s no need to use the candles or any other drugs to weaken my resistance.� �I�ll remember that,� Elayne vowed. �Just don�t make them necessary.� �Yes, my lady,� the wizard replied. After a moment, he added, �I suppose I should call you by your name.� �I suppose you should,� Elayne replied sleepily. Keenan glanced at the woman beside him and sighed. �Goodnight, Elayne,� he whispered. �Goodnight, Keenan,� came the sleepy reply. End |
 |
 |
 |