by Sarah Hawke
And vanished.
“What the hell…” I stammered, glancing around the room. I could still feel Kaseya’s presence through our bond, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. Gritting my teeth, I reached out to the Aether and summoned its power to my hands—
At which point Silhouette slammed me against the wall with a sudden burst of telekinetic force. Before I could recover, several magical, web-like strands of energy materialized in the air and pinned my arms above my head.
“It’s not every day a fellow sorcerer walks into my parlor,” the half-elf said, calmly sauntering forward until her lips were barely an inch from my face. “At least, not one stupid enough to channel the Aether in public. Poor Teresa downstairs is going to have a headache for hours.”
I swallowed and forced myself to take a deep breath. Valuri had always warned me not to underestimate whores. In massive cities like Vorsalos and Highwind, they were often the keepers of dangerous secrets. I just hadn’t expected Silhouette to be the keeper of dangerous magic as well.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I never had any intention of harming anyone. I’m just here for information, and I was told that you are the only one who can help me.”
Silhouette studied me carefully for a long moment, her green eyes glittering. Under different circumstances, I wouldn’t have minded being tied up in front of a woman this beautiful, but right now I felt like an idiot for getting caught flat-footed so easily. There was still a chance I could overpower her if I needed to, but I was more concerned about Kaseya.
“Your amazon friend is safe,” Silhouette said. “She just can’t see us at the moment. The mind is the most powerful sexual organ, you see, but it’s also the most devious prison.”
I closed my eyes and tried to reach out through our bond again. I could still sense Kaseya’s presence, but I couldn’t communicate with her. If I could somehow activate the ring, however, I might be able to help her break free of Silhouette’s spell…
“You are new to Highwind, so perhaps you don’t understand just how badly the Archmage frowns upon sorcery,” Silhouette said. “And his wife, the Academy Headmistress…well, let’s just say she’s even less fond of us than he is.”
“I’m from Vorsalos,” I told her. “Believe me—I know exactly what it’s like when powerful people despise you.”
She studied me again. I didn’t get the sense that she was actually upset—she actually seemed more amused than anything. Of course, a cat probably also seemed amused when it was playing with its food…
“I’m here because I’m looking for allies,” I said. “Rumor has it that there’s a new power in the undercity—a Black Mistress who welcomes people like you and I.”
Silhouette smiled. “The Mage’s Guild considers her a criminal, and the Highwind Council considers her the greatest threat to the city’s security.”
“That’s only because they’ve never encountered the Senosi. If they think the Black Mistress is bad for harboring sorcerers, just wait until the Grand Inquisitrix shows up and tells them that all magic is evil.”
While Silhouette paced off to the side and considered my words, I channeled the Aether back through me and focused upon my ring. I couldn’t move my hand through the web, but I didn’t need to—a tiny bit of telekinetic force was all it took to depress the tiny crystal embedded in the side. A second later Kaseya’s emotions washed over me. She was enraged at being deceived, but otherwise I mostly just sensed confusion.
It’s all an illusion. Focus on my presence, and you should be able to pierce the veil.
“The Black Mistress is always seeking worthy recruits,” Silhouette said after a moment. “Careless ones, however, are another matter entirely. Why would she be interested in risking her position to harbor someone like you?”
“Because she needs me,” I said. I could feel Kaseya pushing through the illusion; I just needed to buy her a few more seconds…
Silhouette snorted. “So you’re arrogant and reckless, then.”
“I’m the only person in this city with the knowledge to help you defeat the Inquisitrix and her Senosi,” I said. “I’ll give you an example. A few days ago, a mage named Dieran was smuggling some illegal magical cargo into the city for you, but his caravan never arrived. The Duskwatch and the Mage’s Guild blame bandits, but I know the truth: the Senosi stole whatever it was you were transporting.”
Her face barely moved, which I took as further proof of her professionalism rather than a sign of ignorance. “Go on.”
“There’s not much else to say, other than the fact my amazon friend and I killed the Huntress responsible,” I said. “Unfortunately, the cargo is long gone. And now that you have the Inquistrix’s attention, you can look forward to her operatives raiding your shipments even more over the next few months. She controls all of Vorsalos, and now she’s focused on expanding her reach here.”
Silhouette stopped pacing in front of me. “Interesting, assuming any of it is true,” she said. “But I hope you don’t expect me to help you based on random hearsay and conjecture.”
“No,” I said, smiling. “I expect you to help me because if you don’t, my friend is going to kill you.”
I had the pleasure of watching Silhouette frown in confusion an instant before Kaseya reappeared and tackled the half-elf onto the room’s plush bed. In the span of two seconds, Silhouette was pinned face-down with her arms locked behind her back and a dagger at her throat.
“Even a mental prison can be opened with the right key,” I said, channeling the Aether back through my body. Without her standing over me, I had time to unravel her spell and free myself from the magical webs. “Now, how about we restart our negotiations from the beginning?”
***
“Nau’shevi !” Silhouette breathed in an unfamiliar language. “How did you escape so quickly?”
“Amazons are clever like that,” I said, rubbing at my unshackled wrists. “If I were you, I would be trying really hard to keep her happy right about now.”
Oddly enough, Silhouette didn’t seem particularly concerned despite the knife pressing against her throat. If anything, she looked almost excited…perhaps even aroused. What in the hell had I gotten myself into?
“I apologize for the deception,” the half-elf said after a moment. “But you did manipulate my assistant’s mind, and I had no other way of gauging your intentions.”
“You can apologize by telling Jorem everything you know about the Black Mistress,” Kaseya said.
“It’s all right,” I soothed. “I think maybe we all just got off on the wrong foot here. How about we relax and try again?”
I gestured for Kaseya to stand down, and she grudgingly removed her knife from Silhouette’s neck. She kept the half-elf’s arms pinned behind her back, however, and remained pressed atop her.
“I’ve heard stories of the amazons and their bonding rituals,” Silhouette said, her eyes shifting over to my ring. “I can sense your connection now. It’s remarkably strong.”
“Another reason your mistress should want to meet with us,” I said. “We’re in need of powerful allies, but I suspect she is, too.”
Silhouette smiled. It was incredibly disarming, and I caught myself reflexively letting my guard down. She was good—there was no way around it. I had a feeling she had far more influence with the Black Mistress than she was letting on.
“A face-to-face meeting is possible, but it will take some time,” Silhouette said. “She’s a busy woman, and one can’t be too careful with the Mage’s Guild and Knights of the Silver Fist sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”
“Naturally,” I replied. “Unfortunately, time is a factor. The Inquisitrix is currently holding a prisoner with incredibly valuable information on the Senosi’s current plans in Highwind. I’m not sure how long she’ll survive.”
“Let me guess: this prisoner also happens to be a friend of yours.”
I shrugged. “Does it matter? She’s a former Senosi Huntress with information you
won’t be able to attain anywhere else. She’s also incredibly skilled and would make for another powerful ally.”
Silhouette’s smile widened. “You really are an interesting man, aren’t you?”
“I have my moments,” I murmured. “So, what do you say?”
“I will get a message to my mistress tonight. I can’t make any promises, but with luck I’ll hear back shortly and contact you. I’m afraid that’s the best I can do.”
Kaseya glanced back at me. Through our link I could feel her asking for permission to get more aggressive. But there was no point—this wasn’t exactly the deal I had been hoping for, but it was probably the best we were going to get.
“All right—it’s a deal,” I said. “Just make sure she’s aware of the potential opportunities here.”
“That is my job,” Silhouette said with a wry smirk. “Speaking of which, my time is quite valuable. You’ve cost me a great deal already. I have a client downstairs who would have paid a lot of coin for this kind of personalized attention.”
“You’ll live,” Kaseya muttered.
I sighed and smiled back. “I’m sorry, but you know we can’t afford to pay you.”
“I wasn’t asking for gold, honey,” Silhouette said, slithering out from beneath Kaseya’s grip. “Like I said before, a woman in my position values new experiences far more than coin. And I must say…I haven’t met someone so enticing in a very long time.”
“Really,” I murmured, trying to remain skeptical even as my cock swelled back to life. I didn’t trust her, obviously, but I couldn’t just ignore her taut elven body and plump human tits. “Given your connections to the Black Mistress, I would have thought you’d get a fair amount of sorcerer clients in here.”
“Oh, we do. But you’re not the one I’m talking about.” Silhouette placed a hand on Kaseya’s thigh. “I’ve never tasted an amazon before. What do you think, honey? You want to have some fun?”
Kaseya blinked. “You wish to copulate with me?”
Silhouette chuckled. “I’d like to start by licking that pretty cunt of yours. After that…who knows where the gods will lead us?”
My cock had never gotten so hard after a rejection. And my voice had never dried up so quickly.
“I do not even know you,” Kaseya said after a moment.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Silhouette asked with a snort. “I don’t know most of people who come through my door, but I guarantee they all have a good time.”
Kaseya glanced over to me. “Jorem is the one who wishes to enjoy your services.”
“Good for him.” Silhouette scoffed and slipped her hand further beneath the amazon’s skirt. “Look, if it makes you feel better he can fuck me too. But not until I’ve had a taste.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but apparently my voice was still on holiday. Thankfully, Kaseya could sense my approval through our magical bond.
“Very well,” she said. “Though I am not certain how—”
She didn’t even have a chance to protest before Silhouette flipped up the straps of her skirt and dove between her thighs. I was a bit surprised by how easily Kaseya gave in; she spread her legs and leaned back the instant Silhouette pulled her thong over her boots. If not for our bond, I might have assumed that the half-elf had woven another charm spell. But no, Kaseya was acting purely of her own accord, and her pleasure shuddered through our bond and nearly knocked me to my knees.
“Shit,” I whispered, leaning against the bedpost for support. Kaseya had told me that she enjoyed the company of other women. It made perfect sense, given how she had been a virgin awaiting her Maskari for twenty long years. Still, I found it shocking to see the woman I had been relentlessly fucking for a week readily submit to another person. It was only when she made eye contact with me and winked that I realized what was really going on: she knew I had activated the ring, which meant she knew I would feel everything she felt. And most importantly, she knew how much it would drive me crazy.
Clever girl.
I freed my cock a split second before I erupted all over the inside of my trousers. I dove onto the bed and grabbed Silhouette’s slender waist, hoping she wouldn’t protest. I got my wish—she arched her back and readily presented herself to me. Smacking her ass in anticipation, I pushed up her skirt and grinned when I saw she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Her tight elven ass was practically begging to be plugged, but I nudged the head of my cock into her smoldering quim instead.
“Here’s to a productive new relationship,” I said, thrusting all the way inside. I had never fucked an elf before—barely any of the fair folk lived in Vorsalos—but I had heard stories about their legendary tightness. For once, the rumors didn’t disappoint. The walls of her cunt cradled my cock so snugly it was almost painful. Thankfully she was gushing wet, and I slammed into her over and over while her tongue lathered Kaseya to climax.
I almost turned off my ring to protect myself from the sudden wave of euphoria, but instead I grit my teeth and enjoyed the sensation even while I fought to contain my load. Later, I promised myself, I would crawl between Kaseya’s athletic thighs and return one of the many favors she had already given me. But right now I really wanted to see how long I could hold out.
The answer, as it turned out, was not very long. Mere seconds after Kaseya’s climax faded I felt my own swell beyond my control. I slapped Silhouette’s ass hard enough to turn her cheeks red, and I was tempted to flip her taut little body over and deposit my seed all over her tits and chin. I settled on leaving my mess between her naked shoulder blades instead, however, and a split second before I flooded her cunt I pulled out and took aim—
At which point Kaseya practically lunged forward over Silhouette, mouth agape, in an attempt to catch my offering mid-blast. She barely made it. My first volley struck her lips and cheek, but she gulped down the rest while I was paralyzed in a euphoric haze. I slumped backwards once I finished, amazed that she had found yet another way to surprise me.
“You know, it’s not polite to steal all the credit for another woman’s work, honey,” Silhouette snickered as she rolled over.
“Jorem is my responsibility,” Kaseya said, licking her lips clean. “You should be grateful for his attention, no matter how limited.”
The half-elf’s blonde eyebrows arched in disbelief, and I knew exactly how she felt. I still couldn’t quite believe that Kaseya was real either, not even after everything we had been through.
“I think I need to take a trip to little island of yours someday,” Silhouette said.
I grunted. “You and me both.”
***
Kaseya and I were back out on the street ten minutes later, and I glanced back over my shoulder at the brothel just before we ducked into a nearby alley. All in all, the meeting had gone far better than I could have reasonably expected. We might not have had an official meeting with the Black Mistress yet, but at least we were finally on the right track. I had also fucked an elf for the first time, which a few short months ago I would have considered my greatest accomplishment. Altering the fabric of reality with my mind was great and all, but a man still needed to have priorities.
“I suppose we might as well head back to the inn and get some sleep,” I suggested. “At this point, there’s nothing left to do but wait.”
“Do you really believe she will arrange a meeting for us?” Kaseya asked.
“I think I made a convincing argument that we’re useful,” I said. “And I’m pretty sure she’s smart enough to realize we can be useful allies. I’m just not sure how their organization is structured or where the Black Mistress is hiding herself—or if she’s even real, for that matter.”
Kaseya frowned. “Not real?”
“The name could just be a title used by multiple people. Several of the crime guilds in Vorsalos functioned that way.” I shrugged. “In the end, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Either she reaches out to us or she doesn’t.”
“And if she doesn’t?�
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“Then we start looking for help elsewhere,” I said. “Don’t bother asking if I have any ideas, because I don’t.”
“I have faith in your abilities,” Kaseya said, smiling and touching my arm. “We will find a way to rescue your friend.”
I smiled back. “You know, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself back there. Silhouette seemed pretty…skilled.”
“She was. Even Hestiah could not bring me so quickly, and she has perfected her technique.”
I bit down on my lip and tried to ignore the mental image of two tall, statuesque amazons crawling beneath each other’s skirts. It didn’t work—my cock had already started tingling back to life. It was a real problem considering how far we still had to walk before we got back to the inn.
“I am pleased that you enjoyed copulating with her,” Kaseya went on. “She is quite beautiful.”
I swallowed and picked up the pace of my stride. “You really aren’t bothered by what happened?”
“Why would I be?”
“Let’s just say that most other women I’ve met are a bit more…possessive.”
Kaseya shook her head. “We are not married, Jorem. I have explained this before.”
“I know. It’s still hard to believe.”
“I have pledged myself to you and you alone. No other stem is welcome inside me without your permission, but you are free to satisfy yours however you wish.” She paused a moment and matched my new stride. “I assume that once you rescue your friend, you will wish to copulate with her as well. I look forward to witnessing your reunion.”
At this point, the bulge in my pants had officially become uncomfortable. “Believe me, I’m not complaining. I’m just trying to understand.”
Kaseya shrugged. “Every time you desire to relieve yourself inside another woman, I see it as a challenge for my abilities. It means I need to improve.”
“You really don’t—”