The curse of Kalaan (25 page)

Jaouen took a long puff on his pipe and somehow managed to look down on Kalaan despite the fact that the young count was still standing in front of him.

“Yes and a few other ingredients. With this humid weather ‘tis a good blend to relieve my old aching bones.”

Just then the group heard a scratching at the door accompanied by panicked barking.

“Good Lord, that husky is such a pest!” Kalaan grumbled, but opened the door to the dog anyway. “Skedaddle! I told you to stay at the castle!”

“Skedaddle?” Lil’ Louis and Jaouen asked at the same time before breaking into laughter.

“Ye sure kin choose ridikilous names fer yer flea bags!” Lil’ Louis said, jokingly, once he’d caught his breath. “Yer da spittin’ image o’ yer papa.”

Seeing Kalaan’s face freeze, the old man turned serious again.

“
Va digarez, c’hwiltouz,
[60]
”
he murmured, lowering his head. “I dinna wan t’mek ye sad.”

“Nʼeo ket strict,
[61]
”
Kalaan replied, amicably. “I’m proud and honored that you compare me to my father.”

“Ahem… so, we were discussing protection.” Jaouen casually interrupted the exchange and darted a guarded look at Salam who nodded his head in reply.

“Yes, it’s for Virginie de Macy. We must take care of her and prevent Darius Borgas from approaching her. Lil’ Louis, you inform our men; they must be discreet about this, but keep their eyes on him. In the coming days organize outings at sea and get him on board one of the fishing boats.”

“’Twill be done, lad!”

“Who is this Darius person, and what should Salam and I do?” Jaouen asked.

“Darius is suspected of treason towards the kingdom and other villainous acts. He’s a particularly destructive man, but we’ve never been able to prove it, especially since he has the king’s friendship. He came here with the only goal of being near Virginie de Macy. I don’t know why, yet, but I expect to learn everything tonight, directly from the young marchioness. As for what the two of you should do, the answer is nothing. My main interest concerning you is to find out what you are up to.” Kalaan’s sharp eyes looked back and forth between his Tuareg friend and the druid.

The two men both tried to act nonchalant, but were so obvious about it that they had to be hiding something.

“Well?” Kalaan asked insistently.

“We are looking for a means to lift the curse.” Jaouen finally replied.

“Yes, that is correct,” Salam confirmed.

Kalaan was flabbergasted for a second. His friends hadn’t abandoned him!

“Have you found anything?”

“A few possibilities, but nothing solid.” The druid waved his arm dismissively. “We haven’t given up hope though, have we, Salam?”

“Of course not,” replied the Tuareg before retreating back into his silence.

“That’s all?” Kalaan asked feeling extremely disappointed. “All this time together like a couple of conspirators and you’ve found nothing more than a few trivial leads? You two are quite the pair, I must say!”

“Much more than you realize.” Jaouen’s response was in such a low voice that Kalaan could not make out the words.

“What did you say?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing important. But you can rely on us as well as on your devoted chief mate,” Jaouen replied, nodding in Lil’ Louis’ direction “To keep a watchful eye on your soulmate.”

Kalaan’s jaw dropped. The druid called Virginie his soulmate and coming from him, this was a revelation, for Jaouen was clairvoyant. Everything started to make sense. He and Virginie were predestined for one another; there could be no doubt.

The four men decided to set up a surveillance plan and then took leave of each other, or almost. Kalaan and Lil’ Louis, along with Skedaddle were at the door when the count noticed that Salam hadn’t moved.

“Are you not returning with me to the longhouse?”

“No, my brother. I moved in here this morning,” the Tuareg answered. “It is more practical for our... research.” Jaouen nodded in agreement.

“All right, until tomorrow then.”

“
Kenavo
[62]
, Kalaan! And be on your guard. The outcome is nigh,” cautioned the druid.

On these mysterious words, Kalaan turned to face the clammy darkness of the fog. His chief mate followed close behind with a lantern in his hand and the husky trotted happily behind the two of them.

“’Tis an odd bod, that druid… D’ye understand what he was talkin’ aboot with da outcome?”

“No, I don’t. But to understand his words, we must first understand who Jaouen really is. I have no idea what he and Salam are up to, but I’m fairly sure it has nothing to do with the curse. We will have to keep an eye on them as well.” Kalaan sounded very determined.

“Ya fer sure,” grunted Lil’ Louis.

Suddenly, the sound of someone running breathlessly stopped them in their tracks. It came from somewhere straight ahead of them and, if Kalaan wasn’t mistaken, the person was running in direction of the broken circle and the cliff. If the fog hadn’t been so thick, he could have seen who it was.

“Return to the village, don’t wait for me. I want to see what that noise was.”

“In that case, take this, lad,” Lil’ Louis said, handing him a gun.

“
Trugarez
[63]
!”

Kalaan took off running; Skedaddle was at his side at first, but soon the dog ran ahead disappearing through the thick damp curtain of the fog. A few seconds later, a woman’s screams of terror urged him on. Kalaan’s heart started pounding painfully when he realized that the person he was chasing was Virginie.

Finally, he saw her. The husky was holding her by the hem of her skirt as she was lying with the upper part of her body hanging over the edge of the cliff, into the void. The animal had just caught her in time and Kalaan hurried to pull her back by the legs in a most unceremonious manner. Once she was safe on solid ground, he knelt next to her and took her in his arms.

“Virginie,
ma kariadez
[64]
, don’t cry, I’m here,” he whispered gently in her ear, repeating the words over and over, until she calmed down.

“Ka… Kalaan?” She gasped his name, clinging to his shirt with trembling fingers. “I... I was so… so frightened.”

“It’s all right, you’re safe now.”

Moved by a primal urge, the count leaned his head down and took Virginie’s lips in a tender kiss that quickly became passionate. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and was bewitched by its sweet aphrodisiac taste. Virginie was still gripping his shirt and offered herself to him with an ardor that mystified Kalaan, and lit him with a blazing, and compelling desire.

Forgetting their surroundings, the night, the fog and the dampness in their clothes, he laid her on the knoll in the middle of the broken circle. With his knee he spread her legs and lay partially on top of her, so she could feel the magnitude of his desire when he pushed his turgid masculinity against her hip.

She moaned and let out a little cry. Kalaan did not want to hurt her, nor did he want to move too fast. He tried to pull away slightly, but Virginie held him back by sliding one of her legs around his hips.

“My God Ginny,” he said in moaning growl, breaking off the kiss. She was breathing heavily and it was enchanting music to his ears. “Don’t tempt me anymore or…”

But she took his head between her hands and hushed him with a passionate kiss. It was too much for Kalaan to resist and the gentleman he wanted to be, gave way to the rake he had always been, with one difference. There at that precise moment, in Virginie’s arms, he was not a man, seeking his own pleasure and who would leave after a few hours of trifling with her. No, Kalaan wanted to share everything with her; he thought of nothing but her and what she was feeling. He trembled with the fear of being too brutal and losing control in the storm of desire that was the strongest he had ever known.

“Kalaan,” Virginie moaned his name as she moved beneath him.

She instinctively rocked her body back and forth against his in such a way that made him clench his teeth. He was so close to losing control, just like a teenager, during his first night of sensual delight.

The woman was driving him insane! He could usually spend hours during foreplay, and enjoyed taking his time, but here... if Virginie continued he would erupt in his trousers.

With one hand he lifted her skirt to her waist and greedily ran his fingers up her leg, past the bottom of her bloomers. When he found his way to where her legs joined, he ripped the cloth away. All the while he was exploring, he reclaimed her mouth with ardor thrusting his tongue relentlessly. His fingers finally found her warm and moist intimacy.

He could have taken her right then, for she was ready to receive him, but Kalaan delved into his will power to hold back longer. Moaning, he nibbled her neck, where her blood pulsed frenetically in the jugular. Before long, wanting more of her uniquely captivating mouth, he returned to her lips swollen from his previous kisses.

Virginie let out a long, blissful sigh and trembled as he began caressing her. She was on fire and Kalaan felt like he was the god of lava, wanting to make her his, to consume her with delectation, and watch her be reborn in his arms.

She held him even tighter, arching her hips moving slowly, then more and more languorously responding to his caress, which was growing more insistent. He lifted himself a little so that, using his night vision, he could see her, while she could only touch and feel him.

Her pale skin was luminous, almost supernatural and her gray eyes, dilated by passion, shone as bright as the morning star. Her long hair looked like copper laid out on the bed of green grass that was theirs.

“My little goddess,” murmured Kalaan, his heart swelling with love, before kissing her again, but more tenderly. “Where are we going?”

“To paradise, Kalaan. Take me there,” she whispered breathlessly.

“Is it what you truly wish for?”

“More than anything…”

Kalaan kissed her again; and then continued, following an invisible line from her lips to her chin and down her slender neck to her plump breasts partially uncovered by their lovemaking.

He gently nibbled a nipple and Virginie cried out in pleasure, and, writhing even more beneath him, slid her hands under his shirt to caress his back. Kalaan’s intimate caresses continued until she was so taut, he knew she was on the verge of ecstasy. This was how he wanted her, at the summit of pleasure, drunk with sensuality.

Kalaan unbuttoned his trousers, freeing his hardened member and shifted so he was between her slender legs. When he could no long hold back, he slowly entered her. At first Virginie stiffened at the intrusion, her eyes opened wide in surprise, and she gripped his tight biceps as he braced himself above her. Trembling from head to toe, he waited, giving her the time to pull away if she wanted, but she began to undulate, rolling her hips to welcome him and he thrust his member deep inside her, in one graceful movement.

He remained in her, up to the base in the burning vise that was gripping him, slowly thrusting and rubbing against Virginie. Whimpering, she quivered and arched her body. But this was not how Kalaan wanted to see her release. Still inside her warm passionate body, he got on his knees and, holding her hips he began moving inside her, thrusting faster and harder, until ecstasy carried them off together to a world of exquisite pleasure where nothing could reach them.

There, in the broken circle, the love song of the soulmates melded together, resonated and floated up to the Sidhes, under the watchful eyes of the benevolent gods.

Virginie did not regret giving herself to Kalaan, for it was what she had always wanted. He has been in her thoughts and in her heart ever since she could remember. He hadn’t wooed her; romance had nothing to do with what happened between them and Virginie knew that this would not end in marriage. She did not want a wedding anyway. Destiny had taken charge of everything and put Kalaan in her path at a time when her world was falling apart.

Making love with him was like coming back to life, like rising back out of a bottomless pit and finally feeling alive again. She had given him her virginity, but that didn’t matter; and if she had the choice, she would do it again. Kalaan, felt her shiver beneath him and quickly withdrew to put her skirt back in place and buttoned up his trousers. He helped her up and removed his coat to put it over her shoulders.

It is pitch black out here! How can he move so easily and be so precise in his actions? It’s as if he could see me clearly, when I can only guess he’s at my side.
Virginie wondered.

“I’m carrying you back to the longhouse,” he murmured, kissing her gently on the forehead; then he picked her up in his powerful arms.

“How can you see in the dark?” she whispered, curious to understand. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and closed her eyes as he walked.

Kalaan laughed, and the sound of his voice had the effect of a sensual caress. Lord, how could it be? She desired him again!“Well, let’s just say I know the isle like the back of my hand.”

“Thank you,” Virginie whispered, unexpectedly. Kalaan, surprised by these words, slowed his pace.