Diamond Elf - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

      This story has been published to Kindle, please look for it on Amazon under The Diamond Elf by Roxanne Packard

Go To Chapter 34

Testing...

I decided to figure out how to add pictures to my blog posts, and guess what it's pretty darn easy, lol! All I have to do is hit a nifty little button that lets me add pics... which makes me feel a bit silly that I haven't noticed it before...

Yeah, so above is my current favorite background. This was posted online a while ago, but since I can't find it anywhere, and since it still retains the proper info to give credit to the original owner, I decided to post it here. I love how it shows an equal amount of girls and boys, and has a good ethnic mix.

My previous favorite computer background is below. In case you don't recognize her, her name is Sakura, and she stars in two completely different series by the same creators. Neither of which depict her as seen here, heh heh.

Cardcaptor Sakura - The Clow (Vol. 1), Cardcaptor Sakura DVD Megaset Collection (Vol. 1-18), Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle: Collected Memories Box Set

Ok, random test post concluded, :-)

Diamond Elf - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

    This story has been published to Kindle, please look for it on Amazon under The Diamond Elf by Roxanne Packard

Go To Chapter 33

Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Hamburger Gravy.

Warning, this is almost the equivalent of a diabetic coma!

Tonight for dinner, Hubby asked for mashed potatoes and hamburger gravy in the style of his mom. I asked if he minded me making my nearly signature garlic mashed potatoes, and he replied, "mmm, sounds good!" Now, mind you, his mom's recipe for hamburger gravy includes Lipton Onion Soup Mix. As the ingredients for it include a whole slew of nasty stuff (Onions (deyhydrated), salt, cornstarch, onion powder, sugar, corn syrup, hydrolyzed soy protein, caramel color, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, natural flavors, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate. according to this link ), I needed to improvise.

Dear Grandma, THANK YOU so much for teaching me to make gravy!!!!! Of all of the wonderful things you taught me growing up, this is probably my favorite. It's such a shame I can't eat gravy every day, sigh! Moving on...

I started by taking about 2 lbs of ground beef out of the freezer, and tossing it into a large pan (called a chicken fryer by my mom). I sprinkled it liberally with Redmond's Real Sea Salt, and some Simply Organic All Season Salt. Then, I told hubby to cook it, and add a bit more seasoning as it cooked, since I realized I had absolutely no flour! I needed to make a run to the store.

Just then, Phoenix comes in to report that a neighborhood kid hurt him, and he had a nasty looking cut under his left eye. James took off to deal with that, and I cut up 2 3lb bags of organic potatoes. I planned to make a LOT after all, lol. To the potatoes, I added a very liberal amount of salt, and some water... enough to cover the potatoes, and then some.

Hubby came back, and it turns out that a neighborhood boy had been playing with a nerf gun, scared Phoenix, who then fell off his bike, and hit his cheek on the nasty part of the handlebar, ouch! I told hubby to cut up an onion or two or three, depending on size and how much he wanted. The onion, and the bulb of garlic I had him peel went into the pot with the potatoes. By the way, I prefer my mashed potatoes WITH the skin on, and usually use red russets. Today I used brown russets, and still left the peels on.

I went to the store, bought Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour, and some Dried Minced Onion. Coming back, I was happy that the hamburger was done, and the potatoes almost done. Anyone who has never made gravy from scratch, it's easy. All you need is some form of fat/grease with flavoring/seasoning, a little bit of flour, and some sort of starch, plus water.

So, I drained the grease from the hamburger into a bowl, and set the meat aside. The ONLY reason I did this was to make it easier to blend the flour with a minimum of lumps. I sprinkled a good portion of the dried minced onion onto the grease, some onion powder, a touch of garlic powder, a dash or two of powdered ginger, a dash of cumin (what the hell why not, it was in my spice cupboard) and a dash or two of ground black pepper. I let all of this sit for a bit while the potatoes finished cooking, and used the time to mix about 1 cup of flour with about 1 cup of water, and set this aside.

Next, I had hubby CAREFULLY pour water from the potatoes into the pan with the mix. I turned up the heat on the mix+starch water until it started to boil, and then I added the flour/water, and stirred until it had thickened a bit. Once it was gravy, I turned the temperature to warm, and turned my attention to the potatoes. Hubby had strained them for me, so I tossed them into a huge bowl, and added 2 sticks butter. Remember, I had a LOT of potatoes, lol! I had about 1 cup of cream left over that was on the verge of going bad, so I added that, and a bit of milk... maybe a cup. It depends on the desired texture, just add and mix until it's right.

My mixer mashed the potatoes, onions, and garlic together with the butter, cream, and milk in no time, love my mixer! I remembered to add the hamburger meat back to the gravy, stirred, and then dished every one up. This stuff was sooooo gooood that I cackled wildly, bragged about it on my facebook, and then came straight here to blog about it.

If you make this, let me know what you think, and enjoy!

CookingTF Blog Carnival

Diamond Elf - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

     When Chelindra stepped back into the human realm, she saw that Randy and Gabriel had gotten just slightly drunk. They were laughing, and she gathered that Randy had been telling Gabriel about the awkward days of his youth. She appreciated that it was to keep his mind off of the horror.

     “I’m back,” she announced.

     They looked at her, and stopped laughing, but wore matching grins. Randy stood, and got about six inches away from her.

     “I can tell you,” he briefly turned to look at Gabriel, “that if she had been around in my youth, before I was trained in military etiquette, I would not have let her escape visiting my bed at least once.”

     Apparently he’s drunker than I thought! Chelindra mused as he once again grabbed her and planted a kiss on her lips. She held up her hands in a silent message, hey this is all him!

     Gabriel stood when Randy’s fairly innocent and friendly kiss crossed the line into inappropriate as his hands roamed her back and cupped her buttocks.

     “That is my lover you’re groping!”

     Chelindra mentally sighed, and cursed her body for liking it that they fought over her. Wasn’t two loves in her life enough? Did she really need a third man rutting between her legs?

     That thought made her body go hot, and she was infinitely glad when Gabriel pulled Randy off of her. She was simply too strong for her own good, and had she pushed Randy away, he might have gotten seriously hurt.

     “I think it’s time you leave now,” Chelindra emphatically pointed to the door.

     “I agree,” Gabriel concurred as he slung one arm over Randy’s shoulders, and guided him to the door.

     “Yeah, I know,” Randy sighed.

     “Go find a woman to ease your loneliness,” Chelindra suggested.

     “That’s a good idea,” Randy perked up a bit. “I’m Second in Command! There’s bound to be at least one woman interested in warming my bed!” He left.

     Gabriel whispered in Chelindra’s ear, “He’s too drunk to do her any good even if he does find one.”

     Chelindra immediately knew that while Gabriel had consumed alcohol, he hadn’t allowed himself to get more than slightly intoxicated. Just enough to dull the pain?

     She hugged him tightly. “I missed you!”

     Gabriel smiled, and breathed in her scent as he locked his arms around her. “I wouldn’t be alive without you. Thoughts of you, and the things you would do to him when you… well they sustained me, even when I had nothing else to keep me going.

     They joined hands and walked to her bedroom. It was far quicker for each to undress themselves, and Chelindra didn’t even care that Gabriel hadn’t had the chance to clean up. The sweaty smell of him aroused her.

     They climbed in bed, and kissed. Chelindra kissed him as much as possible, hoping that her kisses could soothe his soul. Gabriel wrapped his arms around her once more, and pulled her half on top of him. He liked having her weight on him. She was solid, and as long as he could feel her, he knew he was safe.

     Chelindra felt no urgent need to progress. As far as she was concerned, kissing, cuddling, and reassuring the other that they were still both alive and together was vastly more important than possessing each other. She used her hands to explore his body, and suppressed a shudder when her hands encountered scars… lots of scars, and not the light ones she had given him.

     They kissed and caressed for at least an hour before Chelindra finally grew frustrated. “I want you inside of me,” she whispered.

     Gabriel was only about half erect. He had trouble maintaining an erection because every time he grew fully hard, images flashed through his mind of John putting a ring on him, and forcing him to eventually climax despite his torture. Inevitably, his manhood would shrink, and he was fine with not moving on to the next step.

     “I… don’t think I can,” he admitted.

     Chelindra was disappointed, but she didn’t push him. “I understand.”

     They settled into a comfortable cuddle, and Chelindra stroked his chest. An idea struck her, and she stoked her hand along his body until she had hold of his hand. She tugged his hand, pulling it to where she wanted it.

     Gabriel’s eyes were closed, and he relished her touch. When she guided his hand to her womanhood, and used his finger to pleasure herself, he was surprised but pleased at her actions. He opened his eyes so that he could watch her face while she rubbed his finger over her little pearl.

     Her face was beautiful! If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she was an angel sent to personally love and comfort him until he was fully healed from his trauma. She began to shiver, and he withdrew his hand. She groaned in disappointment, and quickly replaced him with her own hand.

     He slid his finger down and inside her, and then slid another in to join it. He wiggled his fingers, and slid them in and out repeatedly, taking care to give his full attention to the little undulations her muscles made. She squeezed his fingers, and began to gasp, and he tickled her just a little bit longer.

     Finally, she went limp, and breathed slowly on purpose to calm her heartbeat. He slowly pulled his fingers out of her, and went to lick them off.

     “Do not!” She protested quickly.

     “Why not?” He wondered.

     “All of the fluids from my body… Well, see for yourself.” She pointed to his fingers.

     He watched as a thin layer of what looked like ice formed on his fingers. He tried to wiggled them, and they wouldn’t move. She used her magic to free his fingers from the diamond encasing.

     “Why hasn’t this happened in the past?” Gabriel asked.

     “It has, you just haven’t noticed it. We’ve only ever has sex once, well twice, and the first time I used my magic to prevent the fluid from hardening, and the next morning I gave you a cloth I had spelled to absorb the fluid without letting it dry,” she explained.

     “Oh… but I’ve drank from you,” he had no better way to describe the oral pleasure he had given her.

     “I know, and had I been thinking I wouldn’t have let you. All I can do is guess that if the liquid enters your body before it solidifies, then it will remain liquid. I sincerely hope!”

     Gabriel responded by pushing her onto her back, and burying his head between her legs before she realized what he was about to do. He licked some juice from her, and swished it around his mouth long enough that it should have changed, but it didn’t. He stuck his tongue out to show her.

     “Interesting,” Chelindra smiled.

     Gabriel decided that since he was down here, he might as well make use of the opportunity. He plunged his tongue into her, and she gasped. He realized that while he may not be able to have intercourse, that did not mean he could not please her. In fact, pleasing her might go a long way to healing his mind, and making him ready to have sex again.

     Much later, Chelindra begged him to stop. “Enough! I can’t bear any more!”

     Gabriel knew this was because he had done his job well, and he smiled, pleased that he could please her.

     Chelindra drifted off to sleep, and Gabriel wrapped himself around her, pulling one of her legs between his.

     The next morning, Chelindra woke before Gabriel, who was enjoying the best sleep he’d had in a long time. She noticed that he looked at peace. She took this as a good sign that her natural gift to guard sleep had worked wonders on him.

     She gently pulled herself free from his grasp – he clutched her like a child clutches a teddy bear, she grinned – and sat up. She wanted to do something nice for him. Something that repaid him for pleasuring her, but didn’t pressure him into having sex before he was ready.

     She stroked his back until he shifted. With him now lying on his back, she had access to the part of him that she longed to touch. She uncovered it, and stroked it with her hand. It began to rise, and she knew he liked her attention.

     She licked him, and flicked his velvety tip with her tongue. This caused his shaft to jump, and she giggled. She had honestly never done anything like this before, and she felt like a child who had just been given a brand new toy. She licked him some more, and then took his entire length into her mouth.

     Gabriel thought he was simply dreaming. With no nightmares to disturb him, he’d actually had a few erotic dreams, and at first this felt no different. When his shaft was nearly swallowed whole, he knew this was no dream, and his eyes flew open to observe the events occurring in his lap.

     Chelindra was so involved with sucking on him, and doing whatever it took to provoke a reaction from him, that she didn’t realize he was awake yet. She removed him from her mouth, giggled again, and wondered what it would be like to take him all the way into her mouth, and slowly pull back until he was free several times in a row.

     It was heaven! Gabriel thoroughly enjoyed what she was doing to him, and slightly thrust his hips to encourage her. She switched from using her mouth to long strokes from her tongue, and then sucking on his head just enough to make him want to grab the back of her head and push her farther onto his shaft.

     This thought made him wonder what it would be like to be her master. Master… Master… Images of his master sucking on him flooded him.

     Chelindra felt him stiffen slightly, and decided that a more direct assault might be better. She fondled his balls as she accepted his shaft into her mouth as much as possible. She used a hand to stroke the part of his shaft not in her mouth, and could have cried in triumph when he began producing drops of fluid. Her strokes got faster.

     Gabriel fought to get memories of his master and Ando out of his mind. This was too much too soon. “No!”

     Chelindra paused, her mouth fully sucking on him, and her hand still rapidly stroking him. Gabriel moaned, and she took this as a sign that he wanted her to continue, as in No! Don’t stop!

     She twisted her head as she sucked on him, and he moaned again.

     Gabriel was about to fill her mouth, and he knew it. In his mind, it was a different mouth on him, and he could feel the bite of the whip as he moaned and grunted. “No, please no.”

     Chelindra froze, that was definitely not a phrase of encouragement, and she slowly pulled her head back. It was too late, Gabriel spurted and grunted, and she figured it would be an insult to remove her mouth and spit it on him at this exact moment. She swallowed, and waited until he was finished.

     “I’m sorry,” she uttered softly. “I meant to please you.”

     Gabriel turned onto his side. “I know.” He wasn’t angry with her. He really wasn’t… He appreciated her eagerness, but he just wasn’t ready.

     Chelindra had no idea what to do. Should she comfort him? Should she leave him alone?

     She stroked his back, and though he did a good job of not shuddering, she knew that he did not want to be touched at all right now. She bit back a sigh, and was surprised to find herself near tears. She silently inhaled and exhaled a few times.

     When she was certain her voice would not betray her, she said, “I am going to have a servant fetch us some food, and bathwater.”

     She thought she did an excellent job of sounding normal, but her breath caught, and she had to stop breathing altogether for a moment to prevent a small sob from escaping.

     Gabriel had been trained from birth to detect every small nuance. It was his job to know what his master was not saying as much as what he was, and he knew that Chelindra was near tears. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her!

     “Hey,” he whispered soothingly as he sat up and gathered her in his arms. “You did nothing wrong.”

     Chelindra snuggled into him as he stroked her back, and continued to breathe slowly. She couldn’t talk for fear of crying. A saying occurred to her, beware the pregnant elf!

     It was an old saying that had come about because pregnant elves were the ones most likely to feel an emotion they couldn’t explain, and without meditation several times daily, they often took their emotions out on other unsuspecting elves. Chelindra hadn’t meditated once since she’d gotten pregnant. Frankly, she hadn’t believed the saying, but here she was, on the verge of tears for the second time in her life!

     The couple simply held each other. They both realized that what they needed the most right now was just being together. Holding onto this moment for as long as possible.

     Later on, after they had eaten and bathed, they answered a summons from the King, who presented them with his completed armistice documents. He told Chelindra and Gabriel that they could stay as long as they wanted before they left to deliver the documents, but even he sensed that they would not stay long.

     Princess Amara asked to speak to Gabriel alone, and led him far enough away – out into the garden and down a path to a private bower – that Chelindra could not overhear them unless she actively tried. She took a deep breath, and calmed her pounding heart.

     “I know that you are not ready for marriage, and that you have doubts about, um, your capacity to… heal. Please understand that if your father agrees to our marriage, I will not expect you to… to…” She blushed. She was not supposed to say such things aloud. “Visit my bed, until you are ready.”

     Gabriel smiled. She was charming at nearly 18, and he was in his 30’s. He really felt too old for her, but then he thought about the age difference between him and Chelindra, and after that, he didn’t feel so much like he was robbing the cradle.

     “Thank you, I appreciate that… but know this; I will not go through with the marriage unless I am sure that we will be… productive. I would not want to burden you with such a dismal life,” Gabriel responded delicately.

     Amara blushed, rose up onto her tip toes – she was a short little thing – and brushed his lips with hers. She felt a small jolt of electricity run from her lips to her groin, and lowered herself back onto her feet. She saw a responding flash in his eyes, and looked down. Pretending shame at her boldness, she spun around, and smiled. She knew that given time, things would work out between them.

     She rushed away to somewhere private so she could giggle that she had stolen her first kiss.

     Meanwhile, Chelindra had followed them. Not enough that she was spying on them, or even listening to them, just enough to be near him when they were done. She saw Amara rush away, and looked into the bower.

     Gabriel had the middle and pointer finger of his right hand resting on his lips, and a look of amazement on his face, and she knew something momentous had occurred. She knew that he needed time to sort this out for himself, and decided to wait for him on a bench a little farther down the path.

     Gabriel appeared a few minutes later, saw Chelindra, and knew she had a pretty good idea about what had happened.

     “Where did she go?” He inquired.

     Chelindra pointed.

     “Wait here, I need to see something,” Gabriel insisted.

     Chelindra merely nodded.

     Gabriel located Amara a few moments later. She was with the Queen, but he couldn’t let that stop him.

     “You’re highness,” Gabriel asked for her attention. “May I ask a favor?”

     Amara stepped closer to him. “Yes?”

     He pulled her close, and kissed her. Sure enough, he also felt a jolt of electricity travel from his lips to his groin. He pulled his head back to look at her. “I don’t understand.”

     Amara knew that her stepmother would allow this chaperoned kiss, whereas her father wouldn’t, and took advantage of this by snuggling closer to him. “What don’t you understand?”

     “This,” Gabriel replied, and kissed her again. She held him to her tightly, and eagerly accepted it when he parted her lips with his tongue. A moment passed, then two.

     “Ahem!” Queen Haylee cleared her throat loudly. “This is a bit much, especially since it is not certain that the two of you will be engaged.”

     Gabriel and Amara stopped trying to crawl inside each other’s skin, but continued to press their lips together for a moment more. Slowly, they separated their mouths.

     “Wow!” Amara grinned and couldn’t wait to kiss him again.

     “I don’t understand,” Gabriel repeated.

     “Is it possible to love more than one person?” Amara asked. “Is that what you don’t understand?”

     Gabriel nodded.

     “I think it is. For example, my father loved my mother, but then he married the first Queen. He says he loved her too. Now he is married to Haylee, and I know he loves her. I wonder what would have happened if he had all three of them in his life at the same time. I think he still would have loved them all.” Amara liked that Gabriel had not let her go.

     Gabriel nodded slowly, this made sense when he thought of Chelindra, and how she loved him, and then how she had seemed to have feelings for Aeryc.

     “You and I were meant to be together, I have seen it in my visions for years. I had no idea who you actually were, beyond the fact that you were the Emperor’s son, and I had no idea if we would be happy, but I think we will be.” Amara rested her cheek on his chest.

     Gabriel looked to the sky as he thought this information over. He hoped she was right, because a happy future with her meant that he really would recover from his abuse. He looked down when he felt her head lift from his chest. She was looking at him intently.

     Please kiss me again! Amara silently begged, then decided not to wait for him. She plantarflexed her feet, and licked his lips invitingly. He chuckled.

     “Amara!” Queen Haylee gasped, mildly shocked, mildly amused.

     “Please,” Amara begged. “Just one more?”

     Gabriel wasn’t sure if she was asking him, her mother, or both, but he took it upon himself to answer her with a kiss to remember.

     Queen Haylee knew that this was important to both of them, so covered her mouth to keep from protesting, until she saw her husband walking powerfully in their direction.

     “Here comes the King,” she announced.

     Gabriel and Amara separated their lips, but were reluctant to break their hold on each other.

     “What is the meaning of this?” Collin demanded.

     “Oh father!” Amara admonished. “My soon to be fiancé is simply giving me a kiss goodbye before he leaves to complete the treaty.”

     “A simple kiss, eh?” Collin stared pointedly at their continued embrace.

     Amara giggled. “You are going to have to let go of me, I don’t think I can make myself let go of you.”

     “The task is proving strangely difficult for me as well,” Gabriel admitted.

     Collin was more than willing to help them out, and stepped close enough to push them apart. He held onto Amara’s arm as Gabriel walked away, her other arm attempted to leave with him.

     Gabriel was astonished that kissing Amara had been so wonderful. He rejoined Chelindra, and they set off on their journey to the Imperial Palace.

Go To Chapter 32

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

I made Caramel! last night, and this stuff is so good I keep dipping my finger in it for more! It's more of a sauce than a candy, so I decided that I had to have something to put it on. To that end, I decided to make cinnamon raisin biscuits this morning with breakfast (which was sausage and eggs).

I know I could have used an official recipe, and honestly I probably unintentionally used an official recipe, but I am one of those that cooks by tossing things in a bowl, and stirring. So I started with about 2 cups Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour and sprinkled it with a light layer of Aluminum Free Baking Powder (note: that is a link showing the product I used, I actually bought it at my grocery store, just one canister for about 2.00).

On top of that, I cracked 2 eggs, and poured in some farm fresh milk. Not sure how much, 1/2 a cup? 3/4ths a cup? I poured until it looked right. You could always start out small, and add to it. I stirred, and added a stick of softened cultured butter. The mix looked sticky and wet, but much like cookie dough, so I knew it would make a pretty good biscuit.

I then sprinkled a little Organic Sugar (note, I buy mine at my local health food store for about 2.00 a pound) on it, followed by some Organic Cinnamon and then the raisins(cheapie store brand organic ones). My preferences are not much for sugar, I probably didn't use even 1/4 a cup, though it was close. The cinnamon probably equaled a tablespoon, and the raisins... I like a LOT so I used at least a 1/2 a cup, maybe even closer to a cup. Most people probably would have used half, but I just kept adding until I liked it, lol!

Once I had mixed it all together, and tasted to make sure it wasn't bitter, (as I read this I realize that I forgot salt to react with the baking powder, oops!). Then I plopped it onto an aluminum foil, and baked at 425 for about 25 minutes. In my toaster oven, in a real oven, I would have baked at 350 for about the same amount of time. I made 12 silver dollar sized biscuits, and have enough mix left over for about 4 more.

Once the biscuits were done, I spread some caramel on them..... I am still floating on cloud nine, sigh! A note about density. These biscuits were pretty dense, so if you are used to light and fluffy ones, these will be a disappointment. I think that if I decide to make them again, I will probably add some salt, and another egg at the very least to make them rise and get fluffy. On the other hand, these would make a great toasted english-like muffin. I could easily cut them in half, toast them, and add butter rather than the caramel sauce.

It's all about playing with your food :-D

Caramel!

My cravings have been running rampant all week! It's getting bad.... That said, I have made some pretty good stuff because of it. For example, Caramel! For months, I have been wanting to try my hand at making caramel or some other type of butter candy, such as butterscotch or butter brittle. As far as I know, the concept is simple... warm up some butter, and add some sugar. So that's what I did...

I waited until my boys were in the bath (of course!), and then I turned a small pan on medium heat, adding about 1/2 a stick of butter to it. Once the butter was melted, I sprinkled about 1/4 a cup of Sucanat Sugar, 1 lb. to it. (Sucanat stands for sugar cane natural, and is what happens when they take juice from a sugar cane, and dry it without heating it up or removing ANY of the nutrients that naturally occur in it. It is very much like brown sugar, except that brown sugar has been refined - had all of its nutrients removed - and then had a small amount of molasses added back to it to give it the brown sugar flavor.)

I quickly realized that 1/4 cup of sugar was not enough to blend with the amount of butter I had, so I added another about 1/4 a cup to the pan, and stirred. At some point, I reduced the heat to low. On my electric stove, medium = 5, and low = 3. After it was blended as well as it was going to get, I strained it through a paper towel (or two, it was hot! lol), squeezing to get as much of the excess butter out of it as possible.

I spread the mixture out on a sheet of aluminum foil to cool, and poured the butter back into the pan. The mix quickly hardened, and formed... Butter Brittle! Cool... BUT, it was WAY TOO DARN SWEET! I now know why butter brittle is always made using a salted nut, you have to balance out the sweet, or even the biggest sweet lover is going to die from a diabetic shock!

Moving on...

The butter I poured into the pan was almost enough to coat the bottom, so I did not add any more to it. Note: my small pan is what? 6 inches in diameter? Not that the size actually matters, it's the ratios and proportions that count... I think.

To the butter, which at this point might more accurately be described as ghee, I added some cream. Just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Then I added about 1/4 a cup of Sucanat Sugar, 1 lb. to it, starting out small on purpose figuring I could always add more if needed. I stirred, temporarily returning the heat to medium, and then lowering it again, and the mixture blended beautifully! It turned into a gorgeous looking caramel sauce. I have GOT to learn how to add pictures to my posts!!!!

I tasted it..... Oh. My. GODS! YUMMY! I'm in heaven I'm in heaven I'm in heaven!!! Why oh why do I have to be effin diabetic?

After the mix cooled a bit, it was a good consistency. Like a thick creamy sauce, and just several hairs shy of being that gooey chewy candy consistency. I hear that if I had raised the temp a bit more, and then cooled it off a bit more quickly, I could have made it the consistency I just described. This is bad news; the LAST thing I need is to learn how to make candy! My boys are going to be diabetic, and I am going to die an early and horrible death! But... on the bright side, we are going to be in heaven before we die, lol!

Diamond Elf - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

     “Finally! We’re alone,” Aeryc stated suggestively, noticing that she had brought them to their suite in the Elven Palace.

     “Oh Aeryc, please don’t ask that of me now.” Chelindra released his hand.

     “Why not? You’re going to do it with him the moment you’re alone, are you not? As your husband, why can’t I insist that I –“

     “No, you are right. Our Gods have joined us, and blessed us with their divine light. I would be insulting them if I refused you.” Chelindra gave a slight smile.

     Aeryc’s grin faded. “But you would not be happy.”

     Chelindra gave this some thought. “I would not be unhappy.”

     Aeryc sighed in defeat. “Let’s get cleaned up, and change our clothes so that we are suitable for an audience with the King.”

     Chelindra was grateful, and opened her mouth to agree, but then she felt something like a hand hit the back of her head, and a voice say, “Ungrateful! We provide you with the perfect mate, and you cast him aside! He has done everything you asked of him, and has been there when you needed him, and what thanks does he get?”

     She closed her mouth, nodded, and crossed the one step keeping them apart. Without a word, she pressed her body into his, and kissed him.

     Aeryc didn’t have to think twice, he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her as if his life depended on it. Her kisses made him forget everything. When one ended, he immediately wanted another. He devoured her mouth greedily, and was delighted to hear her moan in response.

     Chelindra wanted to feel his bare skin beneath her fingers, and pushed his shirt up his back. Running her hands up his back made her want to run her hands down his back and cup his buttocks. She pulled his hips into her, and moaned again.

     When they had mated previously, Chelindra did so out of duty, but she had also liked it. This had surprised her, since she’d never considered the possibility that she would like mating… until she’d met Gabriel. Yet, she’d honestly had more sex with her husband than with Gabriel, and Aeryc had always made it fun for her.

     He showed her tenderness, consideration, and even passion. This was the first time she had taken the lead, and she was surprised how strongly her body reacted to him because of it. She wasn’t doing this because the Gods had shamed her into it; she was doing it because she wanted to. Feeling this way made her a bit guilty that she was betraying Gabriel, but ironically, he’d probably be the first one to understand.

     I want him! I want him now! Chelindra hardened her nails, and used them to shred his clothes. It wasn’t likely he was ever going to wear the dirty and slightly ragged garment again anyway. Once he was naked, she let her hands roam his body, and then pushed him onto their bed.

     “Now that’s more like it!” The disembodied voice cheered.

     Chelindra couldn’t find the desire to care if the Gods were watching her, and quickly shed her clothes. She climbed atop her husband, who had been watching her with a grin, and straddled him, not yet taking him inside her.

Aeryc used his elbows to push his body up so now his mouth was closer to hers, and moaned when he felt her fingers tangle in his hair as she leaned over to kiss him again. He seriously wondered why most elves found this to be distasteful. Did they know what they were missing?

     Whether it was the Gods that had put a spell on her, or some unknown hormone in her body – possibly from the child they had conceived – that made her want him so badly, but she couldn’t wait any longer. She shifted, and plunged onto his shaft.

     Aeryc felt so good that he could have released his juices right then and there, but he did not want this to be over so soon. He held her still a moment, until the feeling had passed, and was glad that she gave him that moment, for the next moment, she was grinding into him as if her life depended on it.

     Again, his need to fill her up came too soon, and he decided to flip her onto her back. He realized that she was always in command – always – and that because of this, she might really enjoy an elf who took that away from her. She wanted it fast and grinding bordering on rough, but he wondered what she’d do if he denied her this.

     He held her hands above her head, and slowed the pace. He chose a pace that allowed him to enjoy their lovemaking without the need to fill her too soon. He kept one hand holding her wrists, well aware that she could break free of his hold with very little effort, and used his other hand to help his mouth explore her breasts.

     His pace was driving her crazy! She wanted him to pound into her until she shuddered with climax. She wanted him to ravage and bite her! Her breasts felt incredibly soft and full right now, and she longed for him to stop sucking on her nipples and rake them with his teeth.

     Aeryc continued to deny her what he could sense she wanted, but he let go of her hands so that he could grab her hips as he thrust into her powerfully. One long thrust that would have shaken a less sturdy bed. He repeated his thrust, again, and again, and again.

     Oh… by the Gods… Chelindra thought, I’m almost there! Just a bit harder…

     Aeryc couldn’t accommodate her silent request, but even he was feeling the need for relief now. He sped up, trying to maintain most of the power of his thrusts, but sacrificing some of it for speed. Now he was grinding into her like she wanted, and he watched her breasts bounce and jiggle as a result of his actions. Her nipples seemed to grow darker, and just a bit larger, throbbing slightly as if daring him to bite them, so he did.

     Dear Gods! Chelindra mentally gasped just before she let out a long, low squeal. The squeal gained in pitch until it could be considered a proper scream, and she dug her nails into his back as she rode out the storm ravaging her body.

     Aeryc loved hearing her scream, it inspired him to thrust faster, sawing in and out of her so rapidly that he could have burned himself had she not been well lubricated. He felt his own release, and grunted. His hot juices filling her with what felt like gallons, but was probably a lot less than that. If she hadn’t already been pregnant, he was certain she would be now.

     They simply held each other, and panted with the aftermath of their glorious sex. Unexpectedly, Aeryc began to laugh.

     “Are you ready to wash up and dress now?” He asked.

     She laughed too. “I don’t know what came over me!”

     “Well, whatever it was is welcome to come back anytime,” he assured her.

     Chelindra grinned, and heard, “Don’t worry, we will.”

     The couple bathed, dressed, and left their room to go find Chehiro. Aeryc’s partner in guarding their King was loitering outside their door. Chelindra gave him a look that plainly stated, what do you want?

     “Aeryc… we heard… uh noises and I am here to see if all is well?”

     “All is most certainly well. All is better than well. All is-“

     “Oh he gets the point Aeryc!” Chelindra laughed. “Why not announce it for everyone to hear?!”

     Aeryc grinned at her in a way that made her certain he was about to do just that. She quickly covered his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close. She removed her hand, and smiled as he kissed her.

     His partner made a sound like, huh, and softly uttered. “The legends are true. Such love is possible among elves.”

     Chelindra stared at her husband thoughtfully. His eyes were hopeful, and definitely shined with his love for her. A certainty filled her, and this time there was no mistake about it. It was all her and in no way a spell from the Gods.

     She nodded. “Yes… love is possible among elves.”

     Hand in hand, they walked to the throne room, assuming that Chehiro would be there. He was.

     “Chelindra, finally! I was beginning to wonder if you and Aeryc would ever return,” Chehiro stated with a hint of relief.

     “Brother, I have good news. I have negotiated a temporary truce among the humans. The time draws near when we can reopen the borders,” she announced.

     “While I am delighted to hear of the truce,“ Chehiro replied dryly. Had he not been an elf, Chelindra would have accused him of being unhappy at this outcome, “I will not consider reopening the borders until I feel confident that the humans can be trusted not to start fighting once more… Perhaps in a hundred years…”

     “A hundred years!” Chelindra exclaimed. “That’s excessive!”

     “I do not see it thusly, human lives are short, and one generation can easily forget the lessons of its ancestors. If the humans can refrain from fighting for a hundred years, we elves will consider them trustworthy once more.”

     Chelindra sighed and shook her head, but did not argue; there wasn’t any point.

     “Now that I have your attention,” Chehiro continued. “I wish to inform you that I plan to unofficially retire, which means that unless you return permanently, young Aeryc here will be in charge… for the most part. He may not decide to reopen the borders either.”

     Chelindra merely nodded. Aeryc couldn’t even if he wanted to. She basically ignored that remark, and asked, “Retire? Why?”

     “I’m… ill, you could say. I do not feel like an elf of only 607 years. I feel… tired… all the time. I wish to restrict my duties to only those in which it is vital I perform them,” Chehiro answered.

     Chelindra nodded, and knew that he referred to the ritual bloodletting that occurred once a year on the Summer Solstice. It was not merely symbolic of the ruler and the land being bound even by blood, it was literal. So long as the Elven ruler bled on the land once a year, it was magically protected, and more so, all the elves who dwelled here were protected too. It was said that if a ruler did not perform this sacred duty, all of the Elven magic would be lost.

Chelindra had no idea how she would accomplish the task when it came time for her to do it!

     She looked at her husband. “I trust Aeryc. I have faith that he will be able to unofficially rule in your stead until I return for good.”

     “And when might that be?” Chehiro wanted to know.

     Chelindra thought about Gabriel’s more than likely pending marriage to Amara, and how it would be bad for them if she was around. “I can see it happening sometime in the next year or two.”

     Aeryc knew what she thought, and squeezed her hand. He knew that being insanely happy to hear that he only had to endure a year or two more without her – rather than Gabriel’s entire lifetime – would not endear him to her at the moment. He turned he head away from her until he could suppress his sudden smile.

     Chehiro watched them with interest. “Aeryc, did you know that your grandfather’s mother was human?”

     “What?” Aeryc was stunned. This news did not make him feel angry or upset, merely taken aback. “She was?”

     “Yes,” Chehiro confirmed. “This was back… what? 720 year ago? Humans were peaceful and lovely back then, and more than one elf thought it was fashionable to mate with them. My father later married a human because his best friend had always seemed so happy married to his wife.”

     Chehiro paused to look at Chelindra, and decided not to continue that particular bit of information. Moving on, he said, “The war between the humans had already been ongoing for over a century by the time you were born, and it was decided that it was better not to tell you.”

     Aeryc absently nodded as he thought back over all of the times he had snuck in to read the old human texts, and his fascination with humans now made sense. He was 7/8ths elf, but he must have something left from his human great grandmother.

     Chelindra knew exactly what human qualities he possessed. The capacity to love, but also humor, loyalty, and compassion. In short, he possessed the remnants of human emotion.

     This was perfect for her in that he had enough human in him to understand her, and more than enough elf to rule by her side. Their child would be more elf than human, which was important to the royal line, but together, the three of them would be unlike any elf before, and probably since. The Gods really had made him for her.

     Which immediately made her wonder if the Gods had a hand in creating her too. The fact that they suddenly seemed to want to talk to her made her think it likely, but she couldn’t imagine why.

Go To Chapter 31

Are You Really a Witch?

I know that being a Wiccan or Pagan makes me a part of the minority. I also know that most kids learn religion from their parents AND TV, which means that a lot of kids have no idea or the wrong idea about other religions. My kids are honestly not different since I haven't taken the time to fully teach them MY religion let alone other people's religions.

Consider this for a moment, of the top ten religions (The top ten list varies a bit according to which site you are on, be even so, they do agree for the most part) - GodWeb Top 10 or Religion by Adherents Wiccan or some form of Paganism (Pagan means believing in anything older/other than the Christian God FYI) shows up. This means that my alternative or minority religion actually IS a major religion, just not AS major of a religion.

Most Americans have heard of Wiccan/Pagan... but we also have a LOT of immigrants from other places in the world who may or may not have heard much about our alternative religions. For example, our apartment complex has a lot of Somalians living here. I did a bit of checking up on Somalia because of this, and found out that while Africa is officially divided up among the religions that feature the Christian God, according to Wikipedia, a big portion of Africans ALSO believe in older native African religions. Such as Yoruba or Voodou according to Afrikaworld.net or wikipedia again .

Here's my point, while Many Africans, including Somalians do believe in some form of Christian Faith, they also believe in other faiths that have mystical people if not actual witches in them. Ok, moving on.

The other day, Gryffin and Phoenix went out to play. This is the same day that Gryffin offered all his friends Chocolate Bunnies that I told him I wasn't going to make. The boys is too generous for his own good sometimes, lol! Anyway, while he was out playing, he told all his friends that I was a witch. I really have no idea how the subject came up, but here's how I know it did.

Knock on door - I check that yes I am actually dressed, and answer it.
Gryffin: "Mama, I brought all my friends to come play in our house!"
I look at the 5 or 6 girls behind Gryffin. Most of them were Somalian. "Sorry Gryffin, but I am making dinner, so they can't come in now." I repeat this directly to the girls as Gryffin babbled on about something.
"Ok, are you really a witch?"
"Yes I am," I state, and turn my attention back to Gryffin who is still babbling. I tell him to come in to eat dinner. I see the girls whisper, and come to the conclusion that I had not heard them correctly.
"Are you REALLY a witch?"
"Yes, I AM." I replied. I knew that I could either tell them the truth, and risk them telling EVERYONE to potential disaster, or I could deny it, and brand my child a liar. Guess what I chose?

The looks on their face were... shock, astonishment...? Not really sure, but they began to whisper again, and I knew that they considered witches to be bad guys. Some of these girls had been around the last time that I'd had to get mean in public because Gryffin wasn't listening to me when I told him to come inside, and was in fact running away from me and wailing. I could see them thinking, "Oh... no wonder she's so mean, she's a witch!"

I pulled Gryffin inside, smiled at them, and shut the door. Here's why I mentioned TV. When I finally remembered to actually tell my boys that I am a witch, it was after we had watched a few episodes of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete First and Second Seasons, and they were running around pretending that witches were after them. I had to explain that just like not all people are bad, and not all guys are bad; not all witches are bad. In fact more witches are good than bad. To Ride A Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft (Green Witchcraft Series)

This revelation - that I have neglected to actively teach them MY religion - had me running to my computer to visit my favorite pagan chat group to ask if I had missed my chance to teach my boys about good witches. Had I allowed them to watch one too many TV shows that depict all witches as bad? They weren't just AS shocked as their friends, they seemed MORE shocked in fact, like they couldn't believe that their mama could ever be something as evil as a witch! (Which kinda makes me happy in a way, lol!)

Thinking back on that incident, I realized that these girls probably didn't know anything about witches other than what they had seen on TV. Possibly their parents had told them witches were bad, but even more possibly their parents just let them believe what was on TV. I mean it is HARD to contradict so much popular culture.

When I received responses from my Pagan chat group, quite a few of them said that they too had had to ban shows such as Scooby Doo after their kids had busted up crying, "Mama, if witches are bad, and we are witches, are WE bad???"

I wonder what Christian parents would do if every show they watched referenced all Christians as evil...

Chocolate Bunnies

Gryffin REALLY wanted to make chocolate bunnies, and he even had it all figured out how to do it. In his mind, all we needed was my Rapunzel Pure Organic Cocoa Powder -- 7.1 oz and some pure maple syrup. You know what, he was pretty much right, lol!

After telling him that he needed to take a 30 minute bath before I'd make the bunnies, and him taking the required bath (Phoenix too!), we went into the kitchen and found a small bowl. Into the bowl went 4 heaping forkfuls of cocoa powder, followed by a splash of maple syrup. The splash was probably about 2 spoonfuls worth, because I like mine on the not so sweet side, but I needed to add more later, and so I would advise to mix and taste until it tastes right to you. THIS IS IMPORTANT... and I didn't do it, lol!

So, after I mixed the chocolate and maple syrup, I had something akin to a thick, somewhat crumbly chocolate frosting. This would have been fine to make bunny shaped candy with, but I thought, "What if I add some cream?" I took out my bottle of cream, and added a splash. 1 spoonful? 2? Not entirely sure, but probably 2. Doesn't really matter, because after mixing, I decided to add a bit more. Another spoonful or 2. At that point, I had some seriously luscious creamy frosting... but I was going for candy, lol!

Now, had I had this frosting like consistency in a melted chocolate blend, and molds to pour it in, I would have poured it, and let it harden. It would have been almost perfect. I could have even used a small spatula to smush it into molds, since past experience tells me this will harden a bit, but I tasted it, and found out it was a little TOO much on the not so sweet side. So, I added more maple syrup, and this turned my perfect consistency into a wet mess, sigh! I told you it was important to do this first, lol!

No problem really, it's an easy fix, all it would take is to just add a tiny bit more cocoa powder, BUT I thought, "Well hell, as long as I'm making candy, why not get all fancy?"

I pulled out a bag of ground walnuts from my cupboard. It was an unopened 10 oz bag, but that didn't really matter. I sprinkled some walnut on the mix, stirred it in, and tasted, mmm! Then I sprinkled a bit more. I probably ended up with about a 4th of the bag in the bowl... and then I decided that since I had shredded coconut in my cupboard, why not use a bit of that too?

My coconut is from my health food store, and I bought like a whole pound of it out of the bulk section a while ago when it was on sale for about 2.40 a pound. It turns out that I am mildly allergic to coconut in that when I eat too much of it at once, my tongue gets a bit blistered, but other than that I'm fine. You can guess that this coconut is used sparingly though, lol!

I sprinkled on some coconut, stirred, and sprinkled a bit more. Maybe a 1/2 a cup all together, give or take. Once mixed, we all agreed that this was seriously yummy! We each took a bit of the mix, and carefully rolled it into balls. It was a bit too wet still to actually roll, and definitely too wet to form into bunnies, but who cares how they are actually shaped? They can be bunnies if we want them to be, lol!

We each ate one, and I set the rest aside to dry out a bit. This only made about a dozen dime sized balls, but we don't really need more sweets than that in this house, lol!

You know what? Next time I am going to find some mint oil or extract to add to the mix! Mmmhmm!
Enjoy and have a happy day! :-D

Diamond Elf - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

     King Collin frowned at his daughter. “Vision?”

     Amara blushed. “Yes… I have had them since I was very young. I used to tell you about them, but you… roundaboutly asked me not to; implying that they were nothing more than my imagination.”

     “Hmm,” Collin responded, unwilling to admit he remembered something to that effect. “Tell us about your vision.”

     Amara blushed, and pulled her hand from Gabriel’s. She turned so that she was facing her father completely. “There is only one thing that will make the Emperor agree to a truce – a real and lasting truce. The one thing that will, in a way, be a victory over us, and a good reason to end the war. You see, if he lets us win, he opens up the door to allowing other – once separate – kingdoms to rebel and break free.” She explained more than was strictly necessary, hesitating, hoping her father wouldn’t just scoff at her, and think her foolish.

     Chelindra gasped in sudden understanding. “Marriage!”

     Amara nodded. “If we propose not just a truce, but a treaty, one that makes our kingdom separate from but allied with the Empire, we can save face by keeping our hard earned freedom, and he can save face by bringing us ‘under his thumb.’”

     Even Aeryc nodded, as did everyone. This just made too much sense not to be true.

     King Collin sighed, “But the Emperor is… over 70 years old. To marry again now…”

     Chelindra cocked her head to the side in confusion, and Collin caught her looking at him as if he had just spoken an unknown language. He looked to Amara, who shook her head – a hint of a smile suggesting that she thought him silly – and shifted her gaze to Gabriel.

     “Oh…” Collin studied Gabriel thoughtfully.

     Gabriel had honestly been thinking the same thing, that the Emperor might be just sadistic enough to marry a 17-year old girl. He gazed at the floor as he tried to think of another solution, when it occurred to him that it would make more sense for Amara to be married to him, politically speaking. This realization caused him to look up at Amara, then Collin, then Chelindra. They were all giving him different but similar looks. Oh… no… This is too soon! He had briefly mentioned to Chelindra that he was afraid this day would come, and here it was.

     “I… I… I…” He tried to respond; tried to say anything.

     Chelindra sighed. “You wouldn’t be expected to actually marry her right away; you need time to fully heal… emotionally… but Amara’s likely right. This probably is the only way the Emperor will cooperate. He may or may not take your feelings into account, however, in my experience, rulers very rarely choose their child’s love over duty and what is best for their country.”

     Amara was worried. Her vision, which had reoccurred several times over the years, showed her walking down the aisle in the Imperial Palace throne room, and she could see the back of her husband-to- be. She was filled with a sense of hope, but she had no guarantee that they would be happy together, or that he would even like her. The vision gave no information about him, certainly not that he was deeply in love with another. Yet… she would still go through with it. She knew it was that vitally important.

     Gabriel shrugged. “I agree with the logic.” The rest of the sentence was, but as a broken man, in love with another at that, how can I possibly make a good husband?

     Haylee looked from Amara to Gabriel, and realized that there was potential there. Amara was already obviously smitten with him, and Gabriel had to be a good man or else Chelindra wouldn’t love him. Even so… Arminta wasn’t so open and accepting of affairs. Amara might suffer if Gabriel continued to openly be with Chelindra… who was also married.

     The Queen sighed. Such a tangled web! She secretly admired Gabriel. He had just been through such an unimaginable horror, and yet he was trying to be considerate of Amara’s feelings.

     King Collin stood, and announced, “I must take some time to think things through, and work on drafting a response to this truce.”

     Chelindra instantly understood that he was dismissing the informal meeting. She stood, and gestured for the others to follow suit. “Then, if you will allow it, I would like to take my leave.” This was an awkward statement. She was following protocol, which stated that no one may leave the King’s presence without permission, and yet she had never done so in the past.

     Collin realized that she was suddenly feeling self-conscious now that he knew she was in line for a throne herself. Her thoughts were probably: how could they still maintain a familial-like bond now that there could no longer be any pretense that she belonged here? He hugged her. No words were needed.

     Chelindra relaxed, and returned Collin’s embrace. She had been afraid that he would put up a metaphorical wall between them now that he knew all of her secrets. She often wished that he really was her father.

     Aeryc was a bit confused. These two had hugged more than once since their return, and he wasn’t sure if this indicated another rival for Chelindra’s affection. He caught Gabriel’s eye, and silently asked if he should be concerned. Gabriel smiled, and shook his head.

     Chelindra led Aeryc, Gabriel, and Randy to her quarters. Randy following mostly because he was interested in watching the dynamic between the trio. Chelindra wondered how to convince Aeryc that it was time for him to return to the Elven Realm.

     Once the door to Chelindra’s chambers had clicked shut, Aeryc knew that it was time to go. “Chelindra, I still wish to witness when this truce is made official, but it seems that it will be some time until then. Please take me back home now, I’m fairly sure that I have been away longer than His Majesty intended to let me.”

     Chelindra smiled at him, “Of course. Gabriel, Randy, I also need to talk with my brother, so I will be gone a while. Randy, if you wish to wait for me, feel free, and Gabriel, will you please send a servant off to bring us some food?”

     Gabriel eyed Randy, prior to his abduction, there had been a good deal of jealousy and tension between the two of them, but that seemed to have disappeared. “I would actually be glad for the company. Spending time alone is…”

     “I can imagine,” Randy had relived the small amount he’d witnessed enough times to have a pretty good idea of what went through Gabriel’s mind whenever there was nothing to distract him.

     “Gabriel,” Aeryc extended his hand, and Gabriel clasped it in a gesture of male bonding. “I am glad I met you.” This was nearly a lavish compliment coming from an elf!

     Gabriel chuckled. “I am glad I got to know you as well.”

     “Take care of yourself,” Aeryc bade, and turned to Chelindra. “I’ve been meaning to ask, now that I am officially a member of the royal family, can I be taught how to open a door between the Realms?”

     “No,” Chelindra stated. “It is not a taught spell, it is a specific ability. Just as opening or closing the border of them Realm can only be done by a member of the royal family, using the royal scepter as an aid.”

     “I see… I was rather hoping that if I opened the door, it would not be so… fiery,” Aeryc admitted.

     Chelindra laughed, closed her eyes, and concentrated on opening the doorway. The moment it appeared, she knew it, despite the fact that her eyes were still closed, and she concentrated on it just a bit more to see if she could diminish the fire to a gentle haze. The wind in the room decided that this meant that she wanted it to come and play, which only made her fiery doorway burn all the brighter. She opted to stop before her room decided to catch on fire.

     “Oh that helps, thanks,” Aeryc muttered sarcastically, and Chelindra opened her eyes to stare at him.

     “Sarcasm? From an elf?”

     Aeryc shrugged as if to say, hey! It happens! “After you, My Lady.”

     “Did it hurt you? Going through the doorway before?” Chelindra asked.

     “It stung for a moment,” Aeryc replied honestly. He looked at the doorway, a bit apprehensive since this one looked even hotter.

     “Hmm,” Chelindra thought about this. “Here, take my hand. Perhaps I can shield you from it.”

     Aeryc smiled. “I thought you would never ask.”

     Randy and Gabriel both rolled their eyes, and looked at each other, as if silently asking, can you believe this?

     Chelindra ignored her lover and Second in Command, and concentrated on her husband’s energy. After a moment, she felt it shimmering on the surface of her skin, and smiled in satisfaction. She led him through the door, and asked, “Well?”

     “Didn’t hurt a bit,” Aeryc grinned.

     “You know he’s going to try to steal her while she’s gone, right?” Randy asked Gabriel.

     “He doesn’t have to, she belongs to him,” Gabriel replied. Chelindra smiled and waved at them as she released the door, causing it to vanish.

Go To Chapter 30