Free Storm of Prophecy: Book 1, Dark Awakening by Michael Von Werner, Felix Diroma

done. He at least owed him that much. He didn’t have it in him to tell Karl and everyone else; he was far too ashamed. They would just have to hear it from Arrendis.
    He was also starting to realize that he hated his sword. What a waste his life had been: learning to use something so awful, to do something so awful, and he wasn’t even really needed. He hated all of it. As soon as they pronounced him able, he would leave the infirmary and leave Gadrale Keep. Forever. For now, he would rest and wait until he could.
    A healer woman came by later and he asked her how much longer he would have to remain. She told him that another day and night of rest should be enough. Then before she left again, he asked her to use her power on him to help him sleep since he didn’t think he could manage it. It was due to his own personal anguish, but he didn’t tell her that. He blamed it on the anxiety caused by his traumatic experience, which was partially true. She agreed to help him, and soon he fell into a dreamless sleep.
     
     
     
     
    Chapter V
     
     
     
    V incent awoke when he heard some unusual sounds: breathing, the stepping and scraping of shoes against stone, and a wet click. Perhaps it was only his restless and tormented mind that kept him from sleeping longer, but he awoke nonetheless. Everything was dark, and so he guessed that it was sometime during the middle of the night or early the next morning.
    He heard the sounds again. Immediately he tensed and could feel his pulse throbbing through his head. He held perfectly still, fearful of the possibility that the keep was facing another infiltration. He opened his eyes only a small crack and saw little since the infirmary was lit only by moonlight coming through the thin windows in the wall that were once killing slits. Thankfully, he saw no one directly near his bed though this was small comfort due to the fact that the intruders could become invisible.
    He was just about to roll out of his bed when he looked toward the left side of the room and discovered the source of the noises. A man and a woman that he couldn’t recognize were standing next to one of the infirmary beds in in the row across the room from him. They were holding each other in a tender embrace and were kissing passionately. The most he could tell was that each were wearing white, he white robes, and her a white dress. White was the color worn by healers. His hair appeared dark in this amount of light while hers appeared a lighter shade, possibly blonde.
    The two of them were not what he had feared, but he was shocked nonetheless. He immediately guessed that the lovers were here at this time of night because they wanted to keep the affair a secret. He didn’t know why this was. It could be that one or more was cheating on their intended. It was nighttime and the room was otherwise empty. Vincent was the only patient in the entire ward and was supposed to have been put asleep by magic. No wonder they thought this location would grant them the secrecy they desired.
    They didn’t know it had worn off.
    The man pulled her even closer and tighter against himself as they tasted each other’s lips more intensely, caressing and feeling her back with his hands. She held his head close in one hand while holding and squeezing his shoulder with the other. The complete silence made their breathing seem fairly loud. Vincent continued to hold still, wondering just how much further they were going to take this.
    It wasn’t long before they parted just enough to begin taking off their clothes, having trouble keeping their lips separated long enough to do so. He pulled his white robes up over his head, revealing his bare back and strong muscles while she unbuttoned something in the back of her dress. It soon came off as well, exposing to the moonlight the fair smooth skin of her supple breasts, hourglass form, and pleasantly shaped legs. They set their clothes on top of a bed further left in Vincent’s view, and she