Page 26 of One Last Promise
Darce paused for a long second.The heat of his body told me that he was still extremely close.“For a Dylin, you are quite wondrous.”
“You should stop paying me compliments,” I muttered, stilling with a strange feeling that our lips were inches apart.If I stood on my tiptoes would I feel his lips against mine?Was I attracted to this male?Was that what was happening?Did I desire him?Having nothing to compare it to, I couldn’t answer that.
“You should stop talking,” he whispered as I felt a gentle caress against the side of my face.I closed my eyes—a ridiculous thing to do when I was already in pure darkness—and concentrated on the feel of his fingers against my face.In a few short days, I had succumbed to thisNoxlinmale.Darce mesmerised me; I couldn’t deny it.Of course, I’d never let him know, either.It was far easier to insult him and keep him at a distance.Deep down, though, the impure thoughts were surfacing.If I didn’t break the hold the thoughts had on me, I would be tainted and doomed.Dylin females weren’t meant to become attracted to Noxlin.For all I knew, Darce could have put a spell on me.What if hewasa monster, but had glamoured me into seeing something beautiful?What if this wasalla trap?
“Take your hand off me, please,” I ordered deadly into the abyss.“You have already admitted that you find me plain.Touching methatway would suggest you may have lied.I’m paying you well to keep your hands to yourself and get me safely home.”
“Apologies.You had a few rock bugs on your face.I was simply removing them.”Oh.Now I felt a little stupid.I had thought the tickle was my hair.“They can cause quite a nasty rash.I can assure you, Alora, that having spent the last three days with you, I now find you even more plain than when we first met.It’s a relief to be in darkness.I don’t have to look at your uninteresting face.”
My blood boiled at his harsh insult.“You...”
“Keep quiet now,” he interrupted, putting his finger against my mouth.“I’m trying to gauge the tunnel ahead.”I scowled into the darkness as he tightened his hold on my hand, pulling me along behind him.This male was insufferable!
****
IT TOOK MY EYES A WHILEto adjust to the moonlight that trickled into the cave.Darce was right; there was a small archway carved into the side of the mountain with light cascading from above.“How far through are we?”I asked, sitting on my bag for comfort.
“We’re over half way.You did well.We’ll rest here for a few hours before completing the route.”He handed me some food and water we had collected for our hike.“Eat this for energy even if you’re not hungry.”Luckily, I was famished.
The moonlight caressed his features as he leaned against the wall, watching me.“I’m sorry you have to stare at myuninteresting faceagain,” I sneered, biting into my food.“Males frommyrace happen to find me quiteattractive!”It had been hours since that conversation, but I was still bitter about it.
“You really do think highly of yourself, don’t you?DoallDylin males fall over themselves for a tiny thing likeyou?Is that why you have this immature attitude?We Noxlin males like a female with meat on her bones.Ourfemales arewarriors,too.There is nothing more attractive than a female Noxlin dressed in her battle armour.”
“That sounds very...feminine and flattering.”
“It is tomyrace.Let me guess...you Dylin females walk around in small scraps of material that leave nothing to the imagination.”That was true, but sexualising our bodies wasn’t the reason.
“We are constantly drenched insunlight.Of course we wear items like that!”
“That’s what the males want you to believe.Do none of your females want to wear armour and defend your lands?Or is it more important that they hang off Dylin cocks instead?Are you ordered to merely serve your males?Is that why I hardly see any female Dylin on the battlefield?”
“You really think I would tell you about my kind?Your foul mouth won’t get you anywhere with me!”
“Noxlin females are ourequals.There is nothing a male does that a female can’t.Can you say that of your race?”
“My race is none of your concern!I can tell you’re tapping me for information!I will not fall for your Noxlin mind games.”Darce looked at me, startled.“Ah, some of the storiesaretrue, I see.Artful deceivers and liars.That’s what our warriors tell us about your kind.”
“I wouldn’t use the word deceivers.My race...well, we’re smarter, that’s all.What else do your warriors tell you about us?”Smarter?That was laughable for a race that lived in caves.
“You steal our souls and light to become more powerful.”
“If that was true, don’t you think I would have killed you and taken your light sword by now?”I gave him a quizzical look.I had wondered about that myself.“To be honest, it’s more fun watching you struggle to carry that sword on your back.”
“I haven’t manifested my power fully.Perhaps you can sense that I don’t have much power to take.”
“Oh, I senseimmensepower in you, Alora.I have no doubt that one day, you’ll easily be able to destroy a mere foot soldier like me.”
“And you’restillhelping me?”
“I need the gold.Eallarim is an expensive place.A foot soldier’s wage isn’t great.We have to take what we can get.”
“I am paying youwellfor your services.It makes sense to keep me alive.”
“It’s just a shame you’re not a little more pleasing to the eyes.I don’t even get a twitch down there.”Darce motioned towards his pelvis.
“You disgusting pig!”I didn’t want to think about any of his body parts, but especially notthat!
“Is that the only insult you can use?Pig?Dirty fucker, asshole, or disgusting motherfucker would be much better insults.”
