First Love (Champion of the Gods) Read online

  Farrell did his best to keep his expression neutral. “The queen? Was she alone?”

  “No, your teacher was with her. They were laughing, and I assumed they’d just nod and walk by like they always do. But the queen saw us, and I’d swear by Honorus she stopped when she saw me. For a moment I thought I’d done something wrong, the way she stared at me.”

  Farrell’s heart pounded and his hands stared to sweat. How did it happen that tonight of all nights she ran into Cameron?

  “Finally she smiled and I’ll be honest, it looked fake. Not like when she first appeared.”

  “Did she say anything?” If Honorus favored him, his mother would have walked on without another word.

  “Mhmm. She kept her eyes on me and said, ‘Lieutenant Cameron, what are you doing here?’ I got all tongue-tied and managed to tell her I was in charge of the detail.”

  “You? Flustered? By being in the presence of the queen? She doesn’t bite, you know.” Farrell laughed.

  “Says the mighty wizard who dines with her daily.”

  “Dines with her, right.” He’d practiced what to say when this came up. “I’m there, but I might as well be the page who serves them. I sit at the end of the table while they talk.”

  “That’s…. I’m sorry, Farrell.” Cameron gave his hand a squeeze and leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m sure that’s not fun. And they make you do it every night?”

  “Yes.” In truth, once the pages served everyone and put the food down, his mother dismissed them and sealed the room. Farrell then moved up and sat next to her, and it was really Heminaltose who was most often the odd man out.

  “Well, I hope tonight is more fun.” He stole another kiss that went straight to Farrell’s groin. Cameron’s stride seemed livelier for a few steps. “Back to my story since it involves you, interestingly enough.”

  “Me?” The good feeling receded as a wave of anxiety struck. “What do I have to do with this?”

  “The queen seemed odd, as if she didn’t like seeing me there. She turned to Heminaltose and… hey, can wizards speak mind to mind?”

  “Yes, but they have to be attuned to each other.”

  “Is your master connected to the queen?”

  “I have no way of knowing for sure, but I doubt it.” In truth they were. “It requires giving the other person access to your mind, and her being the queen, I’d think she’d be hesitant to do that.”

  “Mmm. As you say, but it seemed like something passed between them.” Cameron shrugged. “The queen turned her attention back on me, and by the Six this was the oddest feeling, but it felt like she was searching for something.”

  His chest hurt, and Farrell tried to breathe normally. “Searching?”

  “Yes, like when I was sworn in. She’d read my thoughts to be sure I wasn’t an assassin from Zargon. Every guard, no matter his rank, has to submit to the test.”

  “She read your mind?” Had she seen their earlier meeting? If she had, he’d never be able to face her in the morning.

  “I don’t think so. At least, she didn’t say she was going to.”

  “If she wanted to, she didn’t need your permission and you probably wouldn’t notice.” How could she do this? So much for her being his mother and not the queen.

  “I can’t speak to that, but the queen promised when she did it at my swearing-in that she would never read my thoughts without my permission.”

  “Oh.” He’d confront her at breakfast and find out for sure. “So you still haven’t told me how you were allowed to leave.”

  “No, and we’re almost to my quarters.” The wicked little grin set blood rushing to Farrell’s groin. He nearly asked what the surprise was but held off. “Heminaltose cleared his throat and asked the queen if he could borrow my services to send you a message.”

  “Hem… Heminaltose asked?”

  “Indeed.” Cameron looked pleased, so it couldn’t be all bad. “The queen agreed and then dismissed my detail and sent me on my way.”

  “What was the message?”

  “He said your services weren’t needed until noon tomorrow and that you should enjoy your free evening.” Cameron laughed. “What an aptly timed message. I, for one, would second your master’s order.”

  “Indeed.”

  “They told me where your quarters are, but I came here first, hoping you’d waited this long. Truth, I felt sure you’d have left, given how late I was. When I saw your head appear around the corner, I nearly whooped to celebrate my good fortune.”

  Still considering what his master had done, Farrell nearly missed Cameron’s excitement. “I decided to give you a bit more time. I assumed something kept you.”

  “You didn’t think I’d stood you up?” Cameron closed one eye and opened the other wider.

  “Truth? It crossed my mind. But I reminded myself that your duty might have detained you.”

  Cameron stopped and inched Farrell back against the wall. He pressed their lips together and used his free hand to cup Farrell’s face. Though brief, the kiss sent a jolt through Farrell’s body.

  “I’m glad you waited.” He released Farrell’s hand and opened a door Farrell hadn’t noticed. “These are my quarters.”

  He stepped back and motioned for Farrell to go first. Two small globes of wizard’s light provided enough illumination to see but left most of the space in shadows. The room was small, but as befit someone of high birth, Cameron didn’t share it, and it had a small bathing chamber in the back. The bed was pressed against the far wall and a chair and a small table stood at the foot.

  Farrell walked in and moved back to let his host join him. Across from the bed, a large wooden armoire took up most of the wall. Cameron closed the door and threw the lock. He took a deep breath and seemed as nervous as Farrell.

  “Confession?” Cameron turned and smiled. “I don’t do this often. So I’m a bit nervous.”

  “That makes both of us.”

  Despite his professed anxiety, Cameron took Farrell’s hand and pulled him closer. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  They kissed again before Farrell could answer. Alone, behind a locked door, Farrell finally relaxed and poured himself into the kiss. It lasted until they both needed to catch their breath.

  Farrell shook and sucked in a lungful of air. He exhaled loudly. “Wow.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Cameron pulled him into the room and motioned for Farrell to sit in the chair. “I told you I have a surprise, so sit there and close your eyes.”

  “Close my eyes?”

  “Humor me, please?” He gently touched Farrell’s eyelids until they closed. “And keep them shut until I say to open them.”

  “Fine.” Odd as the request was, it still made his pulse race. What could possibly require he close his eyes?

  “I know this must seem a bit silly, but I’d planned to come here and set everything up before I met you. When I got reassigned, I didn’t have the chance.”

  Cameron moved around the small room, and Farrell heard furniture being pushed, something that sounded like a sheet being pulled back and smoothed out, and then things were placed on a hard surface, presumably the table. Some sounds he recognized, others he guessed, but in his mind he “saw” Cameron preparing the bed for their use. The image thrilled and scared him.

  The temptation to crack open an eyelid almost overwhelmed him. Cameron clearly wanted to surprise him, but it was hard to resist. After what seemed like minutes, Cameron stood next to the chair.

  “You can open your eyes now.”

  A white cloth covered the small table. Set neatly on top were two goblets, a wine bottle, two plates, and a small chocolate cake. Farrell tore his eyes from the arrangement to look at his host.

  Cameron’s smile was a mix of nerves and excitement. “Happy birthday, Farrell.”

  With his mouth open, Farrell stared at Cameron, unable to find the words to answer. After an awkward moment, Cameron’s smile started to fade.

  “Wow.” F
arrell smiled and stood up. Without thinking, he cupped Cameron’s face in his hands and pressed their lips together. He quickly pulled away but let his hands linger on the hint of stubble on Cameron’s cheeks. “This… it’s… wow.”

  “It’s not much, but….”

  “It’s amazing.” He fought to keep from tearing up. “Thank you.”

  “I know this doesn’t compare to a party with the queen and Grand Master Heminaltose, but I thought you might like a little something more… I don’t know… age appropriate?” The words tumbled out in rapid succession. “Even with the queen there, it was really just you and a bunch of old wizards.”

  Farrell laughed and gave in to the desire to kiss him again. Cameron wrapped his arms around Farrell’s waist and started to lift up his tunic. A moment later, before Farrell could protest, he stopped and stepped back.

  “Sorry. I… ah… let’s sit down.” He sat on the edge of the bed, leaving the chair for Farrell. Cameron picked up the bottle and turned it so Farrell could see the label. “This is supposed to be a very good vintage, but I’d be lying if I said I knew the difference.”

  Farrell stopped Cameron after he’d poured a small amount. “Just a little for me.”

  “Why? Afraid I’ll take advantage of you?” Despite the joke, he stopped, leaving Farrell with barely a quarter of a cup.

  “No, but alcohol and wizards are a bad combination. Last time I drank too much, I picked a fight with Master Heminaltose and still have the scars to prove it.”

  “Ouch. Well, I’d rather you not pick a fight with me.” Setting the bottle down, he cut the small cake. “It’s not much, but it was all I could get from the cook. I explained why I needed it, so she did what she could on short notice.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  Cameron set a piece down in front of Farrell. “Let’s hope it’s good.”

  Farrell stared at the cake for a few heartbeats before taking up his fork. “I’m a bit embarrassed to say this, but I wasn’t expecting anything half this nice.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah.” He shrugged and met Cameron’s gaze. “When you told me to close my eyes, I assumed you were getting your bed ready or something. I mean, with the comment about my virtue being in jeopardy and you bringing me here?”

  “I’m sorry if I gave you the idea that is all I wanted.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not you. It’s just… it’s not like I’ve been with a lot of other people, but no one has ever done anything nice like this for me. Usually all they wanted was, you know, to get me to bed.”

  “That’s….”

  “I’m fine.” He tried to shrug it off, but in truth he hated how alone he felt afterward. “One of the downsides of living at a school for wizards hidden inside a mountain. It’s not like anyone I meet can come visit me.”

  Cameron sat quietly, staring into his cup. After all the effort put forth to make this special, Farrell wanted to kick himself.

  “I’m sorry, you did all this for me and I’m bringing the mood down.” He raised his goblet and held it up. “Can we start over?”

  “Of course, but I need to be honest.” He met Farrell’s anxious stare. “I won’t pretend my motives were totally pure. I did hope we’d end up in my bed tonight.”

  Farrell laughed and kept his cup high. “And I expected you’d want that and I still came to your room when you asked. What does that tell you?”

  The spark returned to Cameron’s eyes, and he reached for his wine. “That I should let you enjoy the surprise and then continue with the rest of my plans.”

  “Oh? You have plans?” He took a sip and peered over the lip of the metal cup. “Are you going to share them or is that part of the surprise?”

  “I thought after your cake, we’d take a bath together—I have been on duty all day, after all—and then we’d crawl in bed and see what happens between now and when the sun comes up. How fortunate that your master gave you the morning off and I don’t need to report for duty until second hour.”

  Farrell took another sip and set his cup down. “Fortunate indeed.”

  Check out this sneak peek of

  The Last

  Grand Master

  Champion of the Gods:

  Book One

  By Andrew Q. Gordon

  In a war that shook the earth, the six gods of Nendor defeated their brother Neldin, god of evil. For three thousand years, Nendor and the Seven Kingdoms have known peace and prosperity and Neldin’s evil was nearly forgotten.

  But then Meglar, wizard king of Zargon, unleashes the dark magic of the underworld and creates an army of creatures to carry out his master’s will. One by one, the sovereign realms fall as a new war between the gods threatens to engulf Nendor.

  Leading the opposition to Meglar is Grand Master Farrell. Young and untried, Farrell carries a secret that could hold the key to defeating Meglar—or it could destroy the world.

  Farrell is joined by Nerti, queen of the unicorns and Miceral, an immortal muchari warrior the Six have chosen as Farrell’s mate. As Farrell and his new allies make plans to counter Neldin’s evil, Meglar forces their hand when he invades a neighboring kingdom. Rushing to help their ally, Farrell and Miceral find themselves in the middle of the battle. Cut off from help, Farrell attempts an untried spell that will either turn the tide or cost he and Miceral their lives.

  http://www.dsppublications.com

  PRINCE FARRELL of Haven sat cross-legged, hovering three feet above the ground, dwarfed by the stone pillars on either side of him. A gentle spring breeze swept softly over his skin and lifted his long brown hair as he faced the mountains. The morning sun had just crept over the horizon to begin its westward journey.

  Stifling a yawn, he shook his head, remembering how his mentors had talked him into getting up this early. Next time they offered to make him dinner, he needed to find an excuse to eat elsewhere.

  He closed his eyes and felt the area around him, from the dips and curves in the land forming a shallow bowl before him to the hoof-hardened Plains of Gharaha at his back.

  The nape of his neck tickled as a droplet of sweat ran down, but he tuned it out, feeling instead for flaws in the rock in front of him. He needed the dimensions to be perfect. Anything less threatened his chances of defeating Meglar, the greatest and darkest wizard of their time.

  Balance and symmetry, that’s how this weapon would work. He blinked, satisfied. The twin stone monoliths were six hundred feet apart and fifty feet tall. A section of the mountains had been smoothed and polished to a height of exactly three hundred feet. From tip to tip, his work extended one mile on either side of the gates directly in front of him. When closed, the gates would be entirely undetectable. Even by a great wizard. Even by the greatest wizard.

  Yes, the left side felt perfect; now for the right.

  As he closed his eyes and refocused on the right side, an eagle screeched in the distance. Another screech cut through the air, and with it came a tingle. No matter how he tried to ignore the piercing sound, he couldn’t. No ordinary bird called to him.

  Reaching out with his senses, he tried and failed to locate what his ears told him he should find. Startled and annoyed, he roused himself and looked up. A pair of brilliant blue eyes, mere inches from his face, greeted him.

  Discipline and training couldn’t stop him from pulling back. Mouth agape, he stared at the enormous white eagle hanging motionless before him. An avatar.

  “Most Holy Sky Father,” Farrell said, slowly lowering one leg and then the other to kneel before the image of Honorus, first of the gods. “How may I serve you?”

  “Rise, favored son. Your labors in My service have earned you the right to stand tall before Me.”

  Farrell stood and took a quick breath. The force of an avatar’s voice in his mind always unnerved him. He sought some measure of calm in the pale blue eyes of his god.

  “My Sister, Lenore, has need of you. She will send Her servant, who will explain what is required. Her need is grea
t, and, loath though I am to ask you to suspend your work here, I believe this will ultimately aid you in the fight with Meglar. I ask that you accompany Her servant and render such aid as you may.”

  Farrell bowed his head once in acknowledgment. “Master, whatever assistance I may give, I shall. Can I know the nature of the aid they require? And how will I know Her messenger?”

  Did he see amusement in the avatar’s eyes? Could an avatar even be amused? “You will be told of your task by Her servant, and you will know Her servant on sight.”

  “I hear Your words, Lord, and will serve Your Sister to the best of my abilities.”

  “I expect no less of you, my son.” The white eagle began to fade, adding, “Know this, Farrell. On this quest you will find your mate among those who serve Lenore. Be not afraid to embrace love even in these trying times. Strength can be found in the love of another. Do not maintain the walls you built to shelter yourself from hurt. The union between you and My Sister’s servant will grant you strength in the difficult tasks that await you both. Consider it My gift for your unswerving devotion to Me and the arduous path I set you on. My blessings on you and your labors.” With that, Honorus vanished, leaving Farrell to mull His words.

  Before he could digest what had happened, detection spells warned him that someone approached. Thoughts of avatars and a life partner vanished as years of training spurred him to action. Peering across the almost-empty prairie, Farrell instinctively gathered power.

  Still some distance away, a mount galloped hard toward his position. Flat, treeless, and magically kept free of tall grass and scrub, Gharaha offered little cover for any who made their way through the hidden, guarded pass. Yet the rider had made it more than halfway across the plains already. Why hadn’t the spells worked properly?

  Farrell scanned the prairie, using magic to be sure only one horse rode toward him. He focused on the solitary figure. Closer—impossibly closer, he realized.

  “Could it be?” he whispered to the cold stones beside him. Enhancing his sight again, he confirmed his suspicions—no rider. A smile stretched his cheeks. Beyond any doubt, Lenore’s messenger had arrived.