Baldur's gate II_ throne of Bhaal - Drew Karpyshyn [80]
With a wan smile, Jaheira walked slowly over to him. "No, my love. This is not nature's way. My time on that world has passed, and my time on this one grows short. Share this time with me, Abdel. Do not waste it with frantic plans and foolish wishes that cannot be fulfilled. Let us just enjoy the little time we have left."
She reached out, and her touch caused Abdel's skin to tingle. His blood boiled with desire, and he reached out with trembling hands to peel away the simple tunic Jaheira wore, exposing his lover's breasts before pulling her close. Jaheira's fingers slid beneath the scraps of his charred shirt still hanging from his shoulders and traced a sensuous path down Abdel's powerful back, caressing his muscles before tearing away the tattered remains of his breeches.
Abdel took her there, in the soft brown earth of Bhaal's realm. Their love making was savage and primal, fuelled by urgent desire and the fierce longing brought on by the knowledge of their imminent separation. Above them lightning crackled, and thunder rolled as the skies burst, dousing them with the shock of chill rains that couldn't quell their desperate passion.
When they were finished, they lay side by side in the cool mud, letting the downpour wash their bodies clean.
Jaheira snuggled up against Abdel, pressing herself into the crook of his arm and drawing on her lover's heat to ease the shivering of her naked form. Physically spent, exhausted by their furious copulation, Abdel held his half-elf lover and pretended they would be together forever.
The rains ceased, and their soaking bodies slowly dried beneath the empty night sky of the Abyssal plane. How many hours they spent together taking comfort in the simple closeness of each other, Abdel could not say. An eternity would have seemed but an instant to him, no length of time would ever be enough to justify the unfairness of having to ever let his lover go.
It was Jaheira who finally broke their embrace. "I can stay no longer," she apologized as she tried to get up. "I must leave."
Clutching her firmly but gently by the wrist, Abdel kept her from standing. "How can this be?" he asked, staring up into her violet eyes as she crouched overtop of him. "How can I go on without you?"
The half-elf bent to kiss him deep on the lips, then softly pulled herself away.
"You will find a way, Abdel. You must. Do not let my death poison you against the world," the half-elf warned. "If you let hate and regret consume your mind, the foul essence of Bhaal will swallow your soul."
"I don't want to be alone," he whispered.
"You won't always be alone," she assured him. "There will be others. Other friends. Other lovers."
The big sellsword shook his head. "No. Not like you. Never like you."
The half-elf smiled again, though her eyes were sad. "I loved you Abdel, as I loved no other man. But I also loved my husband Khalid as I loved no other man. Someday I hope you will find another to share your love, as I have, but that will not diminish what we have shared."
With a despondent sigh, Abdel rose to stand beside her. "You are my strength and my wisdom, Jaheira. Without you, I am lost. I cannot face the world alone. Without you I am nothing."
"You are Abdel Adrian: hero of Baldur's Gate, savior of the Tree of Life, son of Bhaal, ward of Gorion, lover of Jaheira," the half-elf replied simply. "You are who you are, Abdel, and nothing will change that. The way before you will be difficult, the tunnel of your future is long and dark. But if you remember who and what you are, I am confident you will emerge in the light on the other side."
"Will I ever see you again?" Abdel asked, frightened at what the answer might be.
Jaheira planted a kiss on his chest. Her lips were cold, bringing goose bumps to Abdel's exposed skin. "Such questions not even the gods can answer, my love."
Her voice sounded distant, as if she was speaking to him across a great chasm.
"No!" Abdel cried out reaching to grab hold