Free Dragonvein - Book Three by Brian D. Anderson Page A

On opening them, she found that she was no longer on the beach. Instead, she was standing in a spacious chamber beside an elegantly crafted, silk-draped canopy bed. The floor was covered by a thick crimson rug with intricate blue and silver patterns woven along the borders. On the walls hung masterworks of art depicting lush fields and magnificent palaces. Not since she was a little girl had she been in a room so beautifully furnished and decorated.
    A strong pair of hands touched her arms from behind. “Is this to your liking?”
    She spun around and took a quick step back. Standing there was Martok, still in Ethan's body. Only he was now wearing an open necked, white silk nightshirt and a pair of black silk trousers. It reminded her of the clothes her father used to wear in the evening after dinner when he was ready to relax. It was then that she noticed her own attire had changed to a sheer silk nightgown and a pair of soft slippers.
    “What is this?” she asked. “Where are we?”
    Smiling, Martok strolled casually over to the bed and sat down. “We are exactly where we were, my beauty. Just a bit of glamour. I hope you don’t mind.”
    “That’s enough,” she snapped angrily. “Take me back.”
    Martok chuckled. “But I told you. We are exactly where we were. None of this is actually happening. You and I are still standing on that wretched beach. This is all in your mind.” In the blink of an eye he vanished, reappearing just a couple of feet in front of her. “And there is one thing about the mind. Here, anything is possible.”
    A bright flash followed these words, after which Kat found herself sitting on the bed alongside him. She caught the faint scent of lavender and a warm breeze blew in from the window on the other side of the room.
    He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “Remember, nothing you do here matters.”
    She wanted to recoil from his touch, but a wave of inexplicable pleasure washed over her, sending her passions into a sudden frenzy. She moaned involuntarily as the sensation penetrated her to the very core.
    “Pleasant, is it not?” Martok’s voice was now deep and masculine. Far more so than Ethan’s.
    Kat closed her eyes, not daring to look at him, or even reply. The heat of his touch was driving her mad with desire. One glance - one single word uttered - and her will might shatter completely.
    “It’s all right to give in,” he said in a gentle whisper. “Nothing that happens here is of any consequence. You can do whatever you like. No one will ever know.”
    She could feel his hot breath on her neck. Her resistance was fading. She clenched her fists, knowing that within moments she was going to lose control and fall into complete abandon.
    “Open your eyes,” Martok's soft voice persisted. “Open them and know pure joy.”
    As his lips pressed against her neck, Ethan’s face flashed through Kat's mind, his smile bathing her in pure love and kindness. It was all the motivation she needed. With a rush, her will returned. Her eyes flew open and she leaned back. Martok may have been wearing Ethan’s face, but she no longer saw the man she loved. He was a fiend.
    “Get the fuck away from me, asshole,” she shouted. Her fist shot out, connecting solidly with the point of his jaw.
    Martok jumped to his feet, an expression of deep shock contorting his face. As he did so, Kat’s foot thudded into his groin. It was a hard, clean strike, but apart from bending over for a moment, he did not appear to be affected by it at all. Kat scrambled to the other side of the bed, her eyes blazing with fury. But rather than returning her anger, Martok simply began laughing and shaking his head.
    “Truly a strong will,” he remarked. “No one has ever resisted me as you have. Thank the spirits I can feel no pain in this place.”
    There was another bright flash, identical to the first, and Kat found herself standing on the beach once again. Martok was a few feet away, smiling broadly. She