Magi Legend

by Andrew Dobell

“So, hypothetically, what would you want from me?”

  “That’s easy. An end to the attacks, and assurances that it won’t happen again,” Amanda said.

  Nefertiti dropped her chin to look at her from beneath her eyebrows. Amanda guessed she must be weighing up her options, wondering what the best course of action would be.

  The woman lifted her head and nodded. “Very well, your demands are reasonable. Attacks like the one today will not happen again from this point onward.”

  “You expect me to take you at your word? What assurances can I get, what guarantee?” Amanda asked.

  The Magic was quick and powerful, whipping out from Nefertiti like a coiled cobra striking its prey. It crashed into the twins with the force of a freight train at full speed and their Aegises dropped almost instantly while a second effect exploded their bodies into shreds.

  Amanda stumbled back a step as she watched it happen. After a moment, she realised her mouth was hanging open, so she closed it.

  “Well,” she commented, “that does show commitment.” She nodded to herself as she reined in her swirling thoughts. “That’s… that’s a good start, thank you,” Amanda said. The whole thing had happened so fast and had been such a display of raw power that Amanda was shocked to her core. They might be Nomads, and their actions had made Amanda decide that they should be punished with death anyway, but Nefertiti had shown an utter disregard for their lives. For Amanda, this only served to reinforce how important Nefertiti thought Shaitan was. Not to mention, how powerful and ruthless Nefertiti was.

  “Then, we’re done here. Good day to you,” Nefertiti said as she Ported away, taking Shaitan with her and leaving Amanda, Celest, and two patches of gore alone in the woods.

  “Well, that didn’t go as I thought it would,” Amanda said, thinking out loud.

  “You got the result you wanted, though, didn’t you?” Celest asked.

  “To be sure, I guess,” Amanda nodded.

  She still felt a little shell-shocked at the encounter. She’d thought she’d have to fight these Nomads, go toe-to-toe with them to get the results she wanted.

  “So, shall we get back and let the girls know the good news?” Celest said.

  “Yes, but let’s not mention Nefertiti. I’d like to know a little more about her first. We can just say we took care of it and that they won’t be bothering the city anymore.”

  “Understood,” Celest replied.

  ***

  It was early morning as Amanda and Celest sat in Central Park and watched the glow of the not-yet-visible rising sun light up the sky behind the towering buildings of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Celest had asked to return to New York with Amanda, having had enough of Los Angeles and wanting a change of scenery.

  They’d Ported back and taken a walk up to the park, wandering through the greenery for a while before choosing to sit on a bench and watch the world pass by.

  They talked about Lucian and New York, and what Celest’s plans might be. Celest took an interest in Amanda, and she ended up asking if she had anyone special in her life.

  “…so no, there’s no one at the moment, and I think I might just give up on men for the time being,” Amanda replied.

  Celest nodded. “Men are too much trouble. Friends are fine, but anything beyond that and it gets too complicated, and if you knew what was best for you, you would be the same.”

  “So, you like women instead, then?” Amanda asked, curious.

  “No, no. I’m not into women like that either. I’m no dyke. I mean, I just use men as and when I need them. I don’t get attached. I don’t want a relationship. A good shag from time to time is fun, but it never goes beyond that.”

  Amanda thought she might have offended Celest with her question, and the dyke comment made her wrinkle her nose. She didn’t think she liked that word. “Okay, so, that’s grand. Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

  “Don’t worry about it. I get that sometimes. People see the muscles and make assumptions.”

  “I didn’t… that’s not…”

  “I know,” Celest smiled. “Don’t worry.”

  Amanda slumped back into the bench and sighed. She needed to learn to stop putting her foot in it sometimes.

  A little later, the small misunderstanding long forgotten, Celest pledged to keep in touch and left Amanda to go and explore the city by herself. Amanda headed back home so she could get in touch with Victoria and deliver a report of what happened.

  ***

  Tabitha walked up to Toni, where she stood looking out over the balcony to the club below. They were in the rafters of the building, on a purpose-built catwalk that gave the owners, or security, a bird’s eye view of the whole club.

  “Are you alright?” Tabitha asked, slipping her arm around Toni’s waist.

  Toni stood up straight and pulled Tabitha in for a hug. “I’m fine. As good as can be expected, I suppose.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I’ve been thinking,” Toni said, pulling away just enough so they could talk. “You know how Mandy couldn’t bring Melissa back to life because her soul had left her body?”

  Tabitha frowned. “Yes,” she said cautiously.

  “Do you think there’s a way around that? Do you think she could be brought back?”

  “I have no idea. I mean, what you’re talking about, that’s…”

  “I know what it is. But we’d be doing this out of love, out of something pure. She was our friend, Tabby. I’m not sure I can just do nothing.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s something we can look into,” Tabitha said.

  “That’s all I ask,” Toni replied and pulled her lover in for another hug and held her tight.

  - Nowhere.

  One minute they were in the warehouse, the next they were in a small room, covered in white tiles. There was a raised area on one side with a bed, with a soft-looking blanket covering it. Her shackles had been removed, too.

  “Alicia,” Yasmin said. She turned to see Yasmin with her arms out, so she went to her and Yasmin hugged her close. “This is a gift to you, Alicia. You’ve come so far, so you deserve a reward. I’m so proud of you.”

  Alicia wasn’t sure what she’d done to please her mistress so much that she would reward her like this. It seemed strange. Later, once she was alone, she lay on the bed, wrapped in the blanket to hide her nakedness and warm her against the chill air. She loved this small creature comfort so much. After days, weeks, months maybe, of the hard stone floor and the pillar she’d been chained to, this seemed like a luxury.

  ***

  Hours later, her body bruised and abused once more, with pain filling her every thought, Yasmin, her mistress, her abuser, and her protector, hugged her close.

  “You know you deserve this, don’t you? You know you’ve been bad and you need me. I’m helping you, and one day soon, you’ll understand and you’ll be grateful. I know you will.”

  Curiosity

  Greenwich Village, Manhattan

  The day had been filled with conversations. Amanda had spoken to Victoria and Trevelyan about the events in Los Angeles. She’d been over the sequence of events out there several times and felt bored and exhausted by it all. How had this happened, she wondered? How had her life become bureaucracy, administration, and politics? She felt sure this wasn’t what she’d signed up for.

  Maybe this was what being an adult was like. At only twenty-one, she didn’t feel like an adult. In fact, she didn’t feel any different than she had just a couple of years ago.

  She wondered when things might change. When would she suddenly feel like a grown-up? Maybe it never happened and she would feel like this for the rest of her life. Time would tell.

  Celest had disappeared into the city, and she had no idea where she might be now. She hoped Celest stayed local as she’d proven herself to be a valuable ally. Someone she could trust and depend on, someone with a good moral compass, and someone who could kick some serious ass when needed. These were all
qualities that made her a valuable friend to have.

  The trip had not been without some losses though, and she really did feel for Toni, Tabitha, and John. She got the impression that John would fare better than the girls. She figured he’d been working these missions for Victoria for a while and had seen his fair share of soldiers killed action. No doubt, it never got easier, but she felt sure that John had coping mechanisms in place to help him through it.

  Toni and Tabitha might not though, and it worried her that they could take things a little harder. She resolved to try and keep an eye on them and make sure they were alright.

  But the day’s stresses were over. Tonight she just wanted to relax and attempt to have a pleasant evening in good company.

  So, she sat curled up on her softest sofa with Maria, who she’d invited over for a drink. Naturally, being Magus and living the lives they did, talk turned to recent events. She glossed over the less savoury elements, not wanting to dwell too much on death and destruction. But she did wonder if Maria knew anything about the woman she and Celest had met in Griffith Park. She’d mentioned her name to both Victoria and Trevelyan and from their reactions, they both seemed to know her, but neither had commented much and basically avoided the issue.

  She hoped that Maria would be a little more forthcoming about this strange and powerful beauty she’d met and argued with.

  “…so, do you know anything about this Nefertiti?”

  “You mean you’ve not heard of her?” Maria asked, clearly surprised.

  “No, should I have?”

  “Did you take history at school?”

  “I did,” Amanda replied. “It wasn’t my favourite lesson to be fair, though.”

  “I can tell. Well, Nefertiti was a queen from ancient Egypt, wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, and one of the most powerful and most well-known Egyptian queens.”

  “Wow, I had no idea. So, this Magus has taken her name?”

  “No, Amanda. You met the Nefertiti.”

  “Oh, shite,” she muttered, the full weight and the implications of what that meant washing over her. And she’s lived all this time? She must be…”

  “Over three thousand years old, yes.”

  “Jaysus, she didn’t look bad for it, though. So, you know of her, I mean, as a Magus?”

  “She’s one of the few Arch Magi on Earth, and although she does keep to herself, she is one of the more well-known ones, yes. You don’t get to be that powerful and live that long without people knowing about you.”

  Amanda sipped her wine, enjoying its fruity taste. “So, is she a Nomad or an Arcadian?”

  “Neither. She stays out of all that; does her own thing. I suppose you could say she’s an independent.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t try to fight her, then.”

  “Me, too,” Maria said and smiled at her over her glass. Amanda let her gaze linger, and they looked into each other’s eyes for a long moment. A pleasant tingling feeling ran down her neck, and nebulous possibilities opened up to her, enticing her.

  Amanda bit her lip behind her glass, feeling distinctly attracted to this beauty before her. Maria always looked gorgeous and well turned out. She had a smokiness to her twinkling eyes that promised pleasures and intimacy with her every look.

  Maria ran the end of her tongue over her lips. Amanda didn’t know if she’d done it on purpose or if it had been something involuntary, but Amanda felt a tingle, a pull in her pelvis that felt so good.

  She looked away before she got utterly lost in those eyes, her mind filled with what might have happened if she had listened to her deepest desires.

  “Any progress on the man front?” Maria asked. It was a leading question, Amanda knew that. Maria had one goal in mind, and Amanda wondered if she should let her score.

  “Not really,” she said, feeling just slightly short of breath, almost as if the amount of air she could hold inside her had diminished. Was it excitement, nervousness, or a mixture of the two? She paused after those first two words. She knew what she wanted to say next, but the connotations would be too obvious to miss. Should she be so bold, should she take a small step towards a leap of faith that could change everything?

  Maria’s legs shifted. They were tucked up beside her on the couch, and as she moved her leg, shifting one over the other, the movement drew Amanda’s eyes. She couldn’t help but stare at those shapely thighs and tapered calf muscles. She wanted to run her hand over them, to feel the smoothness of her skin and the warmth beneath her skirt.

  “…I don’t think about men that much, really,” Amanda said, and looked up into those mischievous eyes once more. The words had just spilt out of her, almost beyond her control. She wanted to know what it would lead to, what would happen next. She took a breath as their gaze locked. Adrenaline surged through her body, making her heart pump at a furious rate, which made her exhale a little raggedly. Her skin felt incredibly sensitive and she could feel every movement of her clothes over her body, but she wanted to feel Maria’s hands touching her instead.

  But she felt frozen in place, like a deer in headlights, wanting to move, wanting to take the lead and that first step, but being terrified of what it might mean and where it might lead.

  She’d put it out there with that last comment. Would Maria pick up on it? Would she see the invitation that Amanda had made and would she take it?

  Amanda watched as Maria moved, and it was as if the world had suddenly dropped into slow motion. It almost felt like an out of body experience. Her senses were suddenly hypersensitive and she noticed everything as Maria took Amanda’s wine glass from her and placed it on the coffee table next to her own before she returned and leant in, coming closer and closer to her.

  She could smell her fragrant floral perfume as she approached. Maria’s hand reached out and gently took hold of her jaw with the lightest of touches and guided her in.

  Amanda followed the hand, leant in with it, going where it led and anticipating the meeting to come. Her face was so close to Maria’s now, that she could feel her warmth as she tilted her head to one side while Maria did the same. She paused then, for a second, and let the anticipation of the moment grow just a fraction more. Neither of them took a breath. Amanda felt like she’d been holding hers for an age when Maria closed the gap and pressed her lips to Amanda’s.

  They were soft and warm, and they felt so good. Maria kissed her gently, once, and Amanda just let her do it. She revelled in the moment, soaking in the feelings that went with it. Maria started to pull away slightly. Was she trying to give her space? Time maybe to process what had just happened? But Amanda didn’t want it to end, so she went in to kiss her back. Maria responded, and suddenly it wasn’t just a peck on the lips. It became energised, passionate.

  She went deeper, their tongues touched and danced with each other as they kissed.

  Pushing Amanda back, Maria climbed on top of her and kissed her again as their legs entwined and their bodies pressed against each other. She’d wondered how it would feel, touching and holding the body of a woman, and she decided it felt great. The feeling of Maria’s bust pushing into hers as she moved felt delicious. Maria seemed to sense her thoughts and ran her hands over her body.

  Amanda explored Maria’s body too, her hands enjoying the softness of her. Maria kissed her on her cheek and then down onto her neck while her hands moved over Amanda’s body.

  Maria pulled on her jeans’ button and quickly undid it. Amanda’s breaths came quickly. She wanted it so badly, she ached for it, for the feel of it. She wanted to know how it would feel to have another woman touch her. When the moment came, Amanda gasped, she’d never felt so aroused before. Maria’s every caress and kiss felt like an electric fire. She needed Maria to take her to the very summit of pleasure like no one had done before.

  Was it the taboo nature of their coupling that caused it? The long drawn out flirty relationship that just needed to explode and find some release for the pent up energy that had built up between them?

&n
bsp; Amanda had never felt so connected with someone. Maria knew just what to do. She knew how to touch her and what she needed. Moving with Maria, Amanda rode the rising wave of intense pleasure until it finally tipped her over the edge into a body shaking orgasm that felt stronger than any she’d had before.

  She clung on tight to her lover as the waves of pleasure rolled over her and carried her to new heights.

  Her body writhed of its own accord, her hips rolling and moving to get the most out of the experience in a rhythm that did wonderful things for her.

  As the last few waves of ecstasy faded, Amanda kissed Maria frantically.

  “Oh, my God. I’ve never felt anything like that. Thank you.”

  Maria raised her hand and placed her wet fingers in her own mouth. Amanda could only watch as Maria tasted her and seemed to enjoy every moment of it.

  “Let’s go upstairs, I want to taste you for real,” she said.

  Amanda couldn’t speak. She had no words to answer with, so she merely nodded.

  Maria took her by the hand and led her upstairs. Their relationship had changed. Amanda had no idea what this meant, or where things would go from here, but for right now, she didn’t care. She just wanted Maria in her bed as quickly as possible.

  ***

  Amanda lay on the bed and looked over at Maria’s sleeping form as the morning sun played over her naked body. Her skin looked so soft and inviting, the swell of her breasts rising and falling called to her.

  She hadn’t slept much all night, not least because they had spent most of the night until the early hours just enjoying each other. Touching, kissing, caressing, and taking a shower together, before returning to bed when the desire grew too strong. It had been the most fantastic night of lovemaking she’d ever had. She’d never felt so sexually gratified, and laying here looking at her lover now, made her want to wake Maria up and do it all again. She reached out and with the lightest of touches, ran the pad of her middle finger over Maria’s skin.