The Caverns of Kronos

Kronosia - Part 5

     Diana and Lirenna returned a few hours later and Thomas immediately ran over to apologise, almost throwing himself at her feet in his desperation to make things right between them. “Please forgive me!” he begged as the others went into the next room to give them some privacy. “I'm so sorry! I should never have said those things! You're the expert on enchantment. I'll never again try to lecture you on the subject, I promise!”

     She stared at him, a look on her face that Thomas couldn’t decide was anger or fear. Anger, he decided. She’s still angry with me. “What happened, what nearly happened…” he said. “It just freaked me out. I was so scared! It made me say things I shouldn’t have. It's because I care for you so much. Being here, in this awful place, among these awful people… I'm just scared all the time. Do you understand?”

     He waited to see what effect his words would have. He reached out a hand towards her, then drew it back, but then, amazingly, she moved forward into his arms and lay her head on his chest. She was trembling! Thomas put his arms around her and held her gently.

     “What you said,” she said into his chest. “That's almost exactly what I was going to say. You were ‘freaked out’, you say. Imagine how freaked out I was, if I may borrow your charming human expression. He had me. I was naked and totally in his power. It scared me! A lot! If he hadn't had to let go of my hands to undo his belt…” Thomas held her tighter and her trembling slowed considerably. “It made me overreact. The things I said, and not just to you…” She glanced over at the door behind which the others were waiting.

     “They understand,” said Thomas. “They love you too. And you didn’t overreact. You had every right to say what you said to me. If you want to try enchanting some more soldiers I won't try to stop you. I'll just be there, ready to come running to help if you need it.”

     “Promise you'll be there,” she said.

     “I promise. Just try to stop me.”

     She giggled a little and Thomas’s heart swelled with love and relief. They were still friends! She’d forgiven him! He tilted his head down to smell her hair and she snuggled closer against his chest. After a while they began talking about something trivial and unimportant, every word burying their argument further in the past and cementing their love and friendship stronger than ever before.

☆☆☆

     After some more discussion, it was decided that Lirenna would enchant two more soldiers, both high ranking Konnens, while the others were hiding on the other side of an unlockable door, ready to come to the rescue if anything went wrong. Thomas still wasn’t happy with it, but after her earlier outburst he wasn’t going to say anything, and besides, he knew that most of what she’d said was true. She was a wizardess, able to recruit armies of willing slaves and hurl death from her fingertips. One of the most powerful beings in a world in which magic was just a legend from the past. He strongly doubted that any single person anywhere in Kronos could stand against her except Jerry and himself. Unless they crept up on her from behind, of course, or came across her when she’d run out of magic, or one of her spells failed, or...

     He drove these thoughts out of his head with an effort. Among the shae folk, men and women were equal, taking equal responsibility and risks in everything they did, and if he carried on treating her like a lesser being he might drive her into such a rage that she’d put herself in danger, taking risks to prove herself his equal or superior in the magical arts. He’d go on looking out for her, of course, but discreetly, without being too obvious about it. She’d know, of course, but she’d also know that he was doing it because of how much he loved her and so perhaps she wouldn’t mind.