Forces Collide by Jamie Wilson (ap literature book list txt) 📖

never to return, it seems that I had to. There is much I have been through since.” I paused. “We are only passing through and will be gone tomorrow. I hope this is not the last time you see me.”
“I hope not. It would not be something for me to remember you as someone who will be, I presume, in the heart of the fighting?”
“I will be in the fighting. Else I would not be wearing the armour which I am. Drannor and I together will be fighting. As will Collin,” I replied.
She nodded sadly. I knew she did not believe in women fighting like I did, and rightly so, she was after all, a human. “Our women do not run from battle, like you would. We exchange blows with equal strength as that of our lovers and other men,” I said. “Some of us yet, are stronger than our men.” I thought for a while on that. Maybe I should show them of the strength that I had.
“But, women should not fight,” she stuttered.
“If you want, I will show you what I am capable of,” I said. My hand stroked the white jewel in the hand grip of my sword.
Drannor smirked. “You would beat a human within seconds.” I could hear the challenge in his words.
I laughed. “Alright then, Drannor,” I said. He wanted to duel me? Then we would duel, today!
“If you would all come out to the sparring grounds, then I can show you just how strong we all really are.” Just then I heard Gaelira roar in rage. I heard her rushing over the buildings through the air, snarling. “Excuse me, for a second,” I said.
Then I darted outside just as the screaming started. Human soldiers were invading the streets and they were coming towards the orphanage. Raiding, it seemed. Collecting the remaining men.
Drannor, get out here! I thought. We can’t let this come to pass. I was not going to let them take the few boys left in the orphanage, Collin was in there.
A snarl of fury ripped from inside Drannor as he hurried to me. “Just when I happen to be thirsty,” he muttered. Then he crouched in front of me, making the townsfolk scurry indoors. He was allowed to hunt in the human lands, just not in my forest or any elves. “Not that I like the taste.”
“We can deal with that later; right now we have to stop them.” I knew he needed something to sate his thirst, usually that was me. I was not going to let him hunt something else, but he could not have me right now.
Then Collin was outside and drawing his sword. Gaelira roared, and dove once more, grabbing at the humans horses, and flinging them into the air with her legs as she swooped passed.
Then all was confusion as Drannor, Collin and I started to fight. Blasts of white light flew from my hand as I used magic, and Corellon flashed through the air, a blinding white streak.
Gradually we drove the men back to the gates where they were forced away from the town.
I stopped and looked at Drannor. His eyes were black, he needed to feed and fast. Then without a word I walked to where our tent was. He knew I would let him bite me; it was the only way I could keep him in check every now and then.
None of the humans had been killed, and no boys taken also. As I passed Haemir, I said, “Make sure no one disturbs us for the rest of the night!”
He nodded, and walked to cover the opening of the tent as we slipped in. Of course, he knew what Drannor was, but he also knew that it had to be kept a secret from everyone else. No one would trust Drannor if it was well-known that he was a vampire.
Drannor sat down and I sat next to him. I knew that what he did was not exactly painful, but I knew I could feel it. He would in no way harm me and I knew it. I trusted him.
He sighed and lifted me quietly onto his knees. I never sat there by choice when it came to this. He always had to move me himself.
Once I was there, I leaned my head on his broad shoulder.
“You sure about this?” he asked. His voice was strained but under control still. It would not be for long.
I could feel his cool breath on my jaw as he looked at me with those dark fathomless eyes. I nodded. “Of course I am. Go ahead.”
He smiled for a few seconds then turned his face away from me. I never saw his teeth change when he was going to sink his teeth into me, there was no point in him scaring me. He was never anything but gentle; he never wanted me to feel any pain.
Then I felt his lips touch my throat. He kissed me once and then I felt my skin tear. Though to many this was a repulsive thing, I was not too worried about it. After all, this was not the first time he’d bitten me. Not that I cared.
At least I knew that he knew what he was doing. Whenever he did bite me, he never let his own venom into me; he was more concentrated on only feeding from me, not killing me.
As always, several things I was aware of when he did this. For one thing, there was no pain for me. I knew he was there, I could feel his mouth nuzzling at my neck, but that was all.
He would simply take what he needed from me, nothing more. It did not seem like very long before I could feel his mouth slowly starting to move away from my neck.
This time when he kissed my neck, I felt something spray over the place he’d bitten me. I knew what he was doing; the venom in him could mend someone after they were bitten if the vampire wanted that.
I sighed as he moved to lie down on our makeshift bed. He shifted me so that I was next to him and I knew that he would not get up another time while I slept. He never did.
I guessed it was because he definitely felt more protective of me when I slept after he bit me. Only because I was to some extent weaker than before he had. I smiled at him and then yawned.
“Get some sleep,” he said.
I knew as I drifted of that Gaelira really did not approve of what I let Drannor do every so often, but it was my choice whether he did or not. She knew that.
Every time it had to happen though, Ackron typically managed to fixate her concentration on him. I knew she had more eggs coming, but not yet. She would not lay for a month or more yet.
I hoped though that she would lay them before we flew into battle. It would be bad if she fought and had not gotten them out before hand.
When I woke up the next morning, I was still conscious of Drannor being next to me. Despite the fact that he had not slept the night away, as I had, I knew that he would have been busy thinking.
He smiled as I met his gaze and said, “Let’s go see how many have made it,” he said.
I laughed and rolled out of the bed smiling. I ran my hands through my long golden hair and then followed him out of the pavilion. Haemir nodded to us, he had not let anyone in throughout the night, or whilst Drannor fed.
I smiled as I saw the many more people around. Each town had its own encampment around Adurna. My eyes widened as I took in the sheer mass of tents set up, and small campfire’s burning. Though the group from Anthatal was largest, some of the other groups were almost as big.
Then I saw Drannor’s eyes widen at one of the banners blowing in the light wind. “What is it?”
“My parents have come. Looks like my mother recovered from what ever it was that ailed her,” he said, indicating the standard that was his families. I looked over at it in curiosity.
It was the image of a green dusk dragon roaring. This I knew was a surprise. What elf would think to insult Gaelira this way? I sighed she would contain herself.
“Well, we better go greet them,” I said. I knew this would be a hard meeting for them to see me. After all my grandfather banished them, but I had lifted that exile.
“We do not have to go to them, they are almost here,” Drannor chuckled. “There is something I should show you actually, that my father once gave me in one of his rages.”
He stepped back into our tent and I followed, confused. Drannor did not turn his back to me when he slipped his tunic off of his chest. “This might alarm you,” he said.
I smiled. “Show me,” I said. I was more than used to being shocked when it came to some things. He turned his back to me. I gasped.
His back was badly scarred. Someone had thrown something that had a lot of barbs protruding from it at his back. I t looked like whatever it was had bounced back and hit him one more time before leaving him alone.
“What happened?” I asked reaching out with one hand and gently touching his back. I had had no idea that he’d had this mark all the time I had known him.

“My fathers’ sword. He hit me with it, twice. That was agony beyond anything I’ve actually gone through in my life,” Drannor replied. “Though I think you’ve gone through something just as bad.”

I knew what he referred to, the fact I’d been whipped. “Why have you never told me before now?”

“I did not know how you would react to knowing that I was marked in such a way,” Drannor replied, his voice truthful.

I sighed. “You know these changes nothing to me about you,” I said.

He smiled. “That I’m pleased of,” he said. He turned to face me and took my hand. “We better head out; my parents are in sight of the tent.”

I nodded.

“Stay close to me,” he said. “They’re not like you, but well me.”

I raised an eyebrow. Like him? Vampires? Uh oh.

“You’ll be all right. They won’t harm you if I’m this close. They’ll be able to tell that we’re together, much as my father won’t like it.”

I nodded as we exited the tent once more. Once we were outside, I stood facing him; I knew he’d tell me when they were just about to us. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me to him, softly kissing me. Then he stopped and while I was still touching him, he let me turn around away from him.

The last time I had seen Wistari seemed a very uneasy meeting. This time he seemed no different about seeing me with his son. But then again, I was not too pleased to see him myself. Then again, look what I knew he had done to my mate!

“Soora, Wistari,” Drannor said smoothly.

“Drannor,” his mother said. Her voice was gentle and kind. Her hair was brown like her son’s,