The Devil Within
by
Della Ann Boynton
The Devil Within, The Angel Within, and all
characters therein, are copyrighted by Bon Publishing co. and Della Boynton.
Any unauthorized copying and distributing for profit will be prosecuted, and
yes, I do have a lawyer. Not for profit fanfiction is encouraged, however. ^_^
warnings:Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence, attempted NCS
_________________________________________________________________________________________
There were shadows under Sunnie's eyes, but in morning sunlight, coming through a window, he shown; glowing gold hair, young skin, and the sparkle of opening, golden eyes. Jhai smiled down at him as Sunnie gave him a lazy, satisfied smile in return, until he remembered what had brought him there. Then he frowned and looked ashamed.
"It's done, "Jhai said and stroked a finger along Sunnie's chin. "Let's start from here. Who are the people with you?"
Sunnie's frown didn't smooth out. "I don't understand... they... some of them..."
Jhai tapped a mahogany colored fingertip against Sunnie's lips and then said, "Focus. One by one, tell me who they are and how you came to be traveling with them."
"Than... he's the tall guard," Sunnie began softly. He kissed Jhai's fingertip and then sat up, blankets tucked around his waist. "I went to see the Chi'n'Chi, but he wasn't there to speak with me. They gave me Than as a guard and then... Wystan said that I could go and find you. The little ones, Lor and Kir... Wystan said that they were mine to..to-" Sunnie put hands over his face.
"They're whores, I know," Jhai said as he slowly pried the resisting fingers away and saw the blushing, uncertain face beneath. "They were offered to me as well. I refused, of course, and, from your face, I know that you did too." Sunnie nodded, eyes down and Jhai asked the inevitable, "So, you refused but they are still in your company." There wasn't doubt in his voice, just confusion.
"Theyw anted to come with me, even though... I wouldn't," Sunnie explained .
"You are favored of the Chi'n'Chi and they are opportunists," Jhai sumissed sourly. "I'll make certain they are taken back to the city."
"No," Sunnie said quickly and Jhai raise a dark eyebrow at him. Sunnie blushed deeper, fingers fisting in the blankets. "They know I won't... not that... but they have been friends."
Jhai smiled. "You make friends everywhere you go, Sunnie. I'm not surprised."
"Greta is the guide," Sunnie continued, eager to change the subject and to get past his embarrassment. "She has been very kind."
"And a good duide to get you this far in such foul weather," Jhai agreed, but then frowned and said, "What do you know about the guardsmen with you?"
"I-I don't like them," Sunnie replied and felt suddenly foolish, a child for his fears in the comfort and safety of his lover's room."Than said to stay away from them and not to trust them. Greta didn't like them either. I was afraid to let the children alone with them."
"Why?" Jhai wondered sharply.
"One of them... Balcon..." Sunnie struggled to voice the fear, the feeling that he knew this man, but he didn't think that he could explain it peoperly. He had already proven that he was a fearful child, not to be trusted in doing something as simple as waiting at home for Jhai's return, it seemed too much to confirm that by not being able to tell Jhai why he didn't like the man. "He said ..." He'd only said that he liked Sunnie's tattoo. Even that wasn't enough reason to be frightened of someone. "Than thinks that we should be wary of them all, that Wystan sent them for a purpose."
That was reason, that was being adult. It didn't make Sunnie feel better, though. He felt, instead, as if he had just lied. Jhai was frowning, watching his face and sensing Sunnie's turmoil.
"I've had the same feeling about my own escort," Jhai admitted. "They don't mingle with my people and they are always finding places to talk away from us. So far, though, they've done everything that I've ordered. It may be that the Chi'n'Chi doesn't completely trust us and that they are here to execute us, if necessary, if we try to betray his trust."
"I need to finish my assignment," Jhai continued as he left the bed and began putting on his clothing. His tall body gleamed in the sunlight, tall, lithe, and beautiful. Sunnie admired him for a moment, at the curve of hips, and the wonderful place between that was his alone, and then he was rising and getting dressed as well. He wasn't quick enough, though, for Jhai to miss his erection. The man closed it in one brown hand and smiled down at Sunnie.
"I'm sore," Jhai breathed as he bent to whisper in Sunnie's ear. "A good sore. You were eager and hard, my little lover, and I have missed you and your strength. We have a little time. Let me..." He sank down onto his knees gracefully. As Sunnie put hands on Jhai's shoulders, trembling in anticipation, Jhai bent and took Sunnie into the tight, moist, heat of his mouth.
Sunnie groaned and closed his eyes in pleasure. Behind his lids, all unbidden, sprang a memory, the image of Rohan, grinning and powerful, grabbing Sunnie's hips hard and painfully, and forcing Sunnie's erection into a wide, ravenous mouth.
Sunnie whimpered and his knees gave. He sank to the floor as Jhai started back, releasing him, and Sunnie curled there on the wooden floor, knees tucked up protectively and excitement shrunken and cold as if it had never been.
"Sunnie!" Jhai called to him fearfully. "Are you all right?" His hands felt carefully, trying to discover if Sunnie was hurt, but then he snagged an instrument from his pack when Sunnie didn't respond. "Talk to me, love! Tell me what's wrong."
Sunnie shivered and clutched his knees against his chest, feeling cold and vulnerable. His eyes were still tightly closed. There were other men in the memory now.... hands on him... bodies against his...Rohan giving way to them... and they... a laugh, harsh and full of cruelty... a laugh that sounded like Balcan.
"It's him.... it's him..." Sunnie stammered.
"Love? You're going into shock!" Sunnie was lifted into Jhai's arms and the man put him in the bed and covered him with blankets. He pulled a hypodermic from a pouch and injected Sunnie as quickly as he could manage. "This will relax you and bring your heart rate down," he explained. "Please, Sunnie, calm down... talk to me... look at me!"
It had happened before, but not often. The love that Jhai gave to Sunnie had no relation to Rohan's cruel sex. A flashback to pain and humiliation had come from nightmares or meeting people from that other life, the life of Rohan's sex slave. This was different, Sunnie knew. This was born of a buried memory, one he had tried with every fiber of his being to bury deep beyond recovery. No one wants to remember being used like a woman by many men and Sunnie had feared for his sanity if he should remember the time when it had happened to him.
The drug took the fear and muffled it. Sunnie opened his eyes at last and looked into the eyes of his lover. They anchored him, brought him from horror, and gave him the lifeline that he needed to escape. He pulled Jhai down to him and wrapped his body around him, strangling tight, as he wept.
Calming words and a long while later, Sunnie finally released Jhai and Jhai was able to get them food and something hot and soothing for Sunnie to drink. After the servant had delivered it, and Jhai had given orders not to be disturbed, they sat together on the bed in silence.
"I'm sorry," Sunnie whispered hoarsely. "I- I remembered... s-something."
Jhai motioned Sunnie to drink his tea and Sunnie complied, using the cup to hide his tear streaked face. "I won't ask you what you remembered, because I know your nightmares" Jhai promised, but then said carefully, "but you said, 'It's him.' What did you mean?"
"I think..." Sunnie gathered strength and tried to forget his uncertainty and his fear. He had shamed himself completely now, what was one more humiliation? He knew that Jhai wouldn't forget his question. They were in danger, surrounded by it, and it was obvious that he suspected that more than his loving attention had triggered Sunnie's episode. "Balcan... He reminds me... of things. He makes me afraid... like that."
Jhai's face went furious and he glared at a wall as if he could see Balcan through it. "I know better than to think your fears are baseless," Jhai said. "We need to watch that man."
The thought of Jhai comfronting such a powerful man as Balcon made Sunnie suddenly lose his fear for himself asndand feel protective.
Return to Chapter Four