Alexander can't help but to feel the shift in energy when Verila tells him about the dagger. They were both outcasts, only supported by their closest family and looked down upon for trivial things. For her it was her skin and him his lack of magic. Everyone was so quick to judge them both and maybe that's why Verila and Alexander felt close to each other.
They shared something others didn't. Suffering.
They both became different people because of it. Both survivors. Alexander channeled spite and rage to show them he was not useless and that his magic was something and Verila she ran away. Verila created walls around herself and found a place she could stay without involving herself with anyone.
Verila let herself be used. Alexander let himself be used.
They saw those things inside themselves. Found comfort in the familiarity and lack of judgment. A week was all it.
"V. I know my father won't free you from your servitude, but in four years I will return from the academy far stronger than you can know. I will free you so you can return to what's important to you." Alexander didn't know exactly why or how she was being kept here but he knows that Verila was stronger than his father. Too strong to be kept tied down to this place that had nothing.
'Four years. Is a blink of an eye.' Verila smiles and get's up from Alexander's desk.
They still have an experiment to run and a few more plates. The golden light that flickers from candle light stretches across the room and touches Verila's grey skin. Alexander can see more of the black bra that lays underneath her shadow form. The bra strap leads into a lacey bra that reveals small parts of her grey skin.
Alexander wonders what she would look like in just her bra and panties underneath him. Her long fingers wrapping around his back as he holds her down and.. He shakes the thoughts from his mind and grabs the next copper plate.
He looks at Verila and directs her to get ready for the test.
"I added a rune on this one. One that is very important to see how it interacts. When you grab the dagger, let the mana flow through you and express itself."
Verila nods and begins the experiment. The ornamental dagger doesn't look all that different from the previous one. It's shape, expression and the way the darkness eats at the light expresses a level of power that is godly. Verila grabs the dagger and watches as the shadows that form her clothes slowly gets eaten by the deeper darkness.
The shadows peel in strips up her arm and into her shoulder. Her grey skin is exposed as the mana in the dagger feeds into her devouring the shadows on her body. Verila begins to pour the mana from the dagger and express it through her body.
She closes her eyes and winces as a slight pain tingles under her skin. Where the mana moves she can feel it burn. It begins painting rivers of pain throughout her body reaching from her toes to her head. It doesn't rewrite the mana circle but she can feel it work it's way around and through her body.
Verila hears Alexander's voice.
"I know it might be painful but V. can you slowly open your eyes." Alexander is careful with his words and his soft voice directs her through the pain.
Verila opens her eyes slowly through the pain until she notices the situation in front of her. Alexander is standing just a foot in front of her with a silver mirror close to her face. Her shadowy form was nearly gone with just a few strips circling her body. Her lacey underwear is on full display but it isn't something she can bother to care about.
In the silver mirror was her face but her black eyes were no more. What stood in their place were eyes she hasn't seen for centuries. A deep orange glow, like her Father's, with a rim of black.
"It doesn't hide the full expression it seems. Elven anatomy probably has a natural atunement to magic that can't be fully hidden. How do you feel?" Alexander praddles on.
Verila can't help but notice that her face is still painted grey, her lips a few shades darker, but those were her eyes. Not the monsterous black. Not the color that outcasted her and the color of death and decay.
A few tears roll down her face.
"V.." Alexander tries to comfort her, but the moment the magic leaves her body she is left naked and watching her orange eyes being fed on by the darkness.
"Are you okay?" Alexander asks.
Verila nods. She doesn't explain what she was feeling to Alexander and just moves to the next copper plate.
The last three copper plates all improve on the previous one. The hidden rune allows Verila to see her orange eyes a few more times. She doesn't cry and Alexander doesn't ask why.
Alexander feels he has asked enough of her.
However the last runic circle was comprised of the most complex ideas and principles. One with the strongest magic and therefore the strongest ornamental dagger.
Verila could feel it eat into her and subdue the darkness in her eyes immediately. The deep black shadows in the dagger wrap around her fingers as if each tendril of darkness wants to invade her. The runes express in a way that it overpowers her centuries of magic. A thousand years erased by a changing of runes.
They needed a way to test its strength.
"Verila use the dagger as a conduit to control the shadows in this room. That should show us its strength without destroying the room." Alexander directs.
Verila takes the dagger and stabs the blade of darkness into the wooden floor boards. From it she channels its power throughout the room. Suddenly the darkness of the room converge into a single point at the tip of the dagger.
Every dark space in the room is greyed out and the orange light from the candles for a second seem to brighten. Then suddenly pulls.
Every inch of the room is washed in a darkness that blinds them both until the shadows break. The shadows expand from the dagger covering everything into a deep darkness until all that exists between them is painted in black. Alexander watches as even himself is painted in black until he can't distinguish his body from the sights around him.
"V. are you there?" Alexander asks in the darkness.
He doesn't move from his spot. However soon he feels something brush against him. First he thinks it's a remnant of the shadow magic. Then he feels her.
First her fingers crawl up his arm finding the hem of his sleeve. He can feel her fingers find it and follow his sleeve up to his back.
"Woah! V. What are you-" Alexander exlaims.
Her fingers stop him from talking as he feels her fingers dance along his shoulder to the center of his back. She traces the edges of the shirt, moving effortlessly in the darkness, and sending a shiver up his spine. He feels her finally find the bottom of his shirt and her smoothly grabbing it's edges..
He can feel her knuckles against his back. He can feel her so close to him.
"Verila, please-" Alexander begs and she listens.
In one smooth motion she shoves her hands up his shirt. Alexander is stunned. Her nails climb up his back and around his sides. Alexander's skin tingles with every moment.
"I'm not enjoying these games Verila." Alexander is firm. He can feel his lucidity slipping. A desire rising in his chest.
Verila doesn't listen. Her fingers find his chest. Alexander's chest spills from her hands. Before he can stop her she grabs him tightly from behind. In a firm hug.
"V. I can't handle this anymore."
As if by divine intervention the shadow recedes and Alexander can see again. His shirt is still on over her tightly wrapped hands. He can feel her face bury into his wide back.
Alexander pulls his shirt off and turns within her grip until she is wrapped around him and they are facing eachother.
Alexander looks into her black eyes and he doesn't see the cold existential fear that permeates the unkown. He sees warmth and life hiding in the night. Alexander sees a woman who has fought long and hard for belonging. She might have sold her soul for it.
Alexander's fingers finds the edge of her neck and jaw. His hands cup her face as he looks deeper into her eyes. The warmth that looked like a fire within the night sky smelt of rain. He sees pain in them and he wants to wash it away. They don't need to speak because they have done so much already.
They find each other in the night and as she softens in his hands. Alexander and Verila realize that they have rid themselves of one thing. Solitude.
Alexander pulls Verila into him. Closer than she already was. His hand that cups her face finds a place within her hair sending shivers down her spine and up her long ears. Alexander smiles as he sees them twitch. Alexander rubs one of her ears just slightly to see Verila shiver and she does. She melts and he can feel her grip loosen.
"I'm going to kiss you. Is that alright?"
Verila nods her head and he takes her.
Alexander pulls her deep dark grey lips to his. He puts her lower lip between his and they begin to dance. Alexander has never kissed anyone before but he has read. Read enough.
He plays with her bottom lip even gently nibbling it. He can feel her breathe break in between the passionate dance they are both in. He keeps her lips on his as they stumble backwards to his bed. She grabs him tighter as their lips become more passionate and all Alexander can think of is how soft she is.
Alexander leads her to his bed and she falls against the white sheets. Her grey skin and black lingerie seem so purposeful now. As if Verila was planning on this. From the single black kiss on his neck to this tango in the dark. Her hand leaves his back for a single moment.
A whoosh of dark shadow wipes every light accept the one closest to them sending the room into darkness.
Alexander breaks from her lips and they both pant in between their resting lips. He looks at Verila's face and her sweet smile between their loose breathes.
This is going to be a long night.