by Brandon Fox
At last Ander stopped teasing. Placing his hands on Dannel’s waist, he bent down and licked the underside of his glans.
Dannel jerked like a hornet had stung him. But the sensation he experienced was no sting; an intense stab of pleasure raced through all three of them. They teetered on the verge of orgasm.
After a moment the sensation passed. Thane slowly let out the breath he had been holding. “That was strong. But having Ander share the bond helps. There were more places for the anima to go.”
“Should I try again?” Ander asked.
“Just go slow, and wait until he’s ready.”
Dannel murmured assent, though he seemed distracted by Ander’s rigid phallus above his face. Thane sympathized. Ander’s cock was as perfect as the rest of him.
Ander traced the length of Dannel’s erection with his tongue, starting at the base and working his way to the tip. The flesh surrounding Thane’s shaft clenched as he resumed his deep thrusts.
Their bond was strengthening by the moment. Dannel seemed able to draw strength directly from the kei and was already using the bond to sense how his partners controlled their pleasure. His lifetime of physical discipline and his ability to forge bonds with astonishing speed soon enabled him to respond to Ander’s caresses with more restraint.
Ander took the head of Dannel’s cock into his mouth and let it rest on his tongue. Dannel responded by reaching between them and angling Ander’s cock down. Tilting his head back, he took the slippery glans into his mouth.
Dannel’s legs tensed and his hands gripped Ander’s hips tightly, but the surge of pleasure sweeping through their bond passed.
They began to make love in earnest, their bodies moving with effortless coordination. Thane’s head swam. Their union was deeper than he had ever experienced. His consciousness seemed to flow between their bodies. He closed his eyes and felt himself lying on his back with a long cock gliding in and out of his body. In the next heartbeat, he felt himself crouched on hands and knees with Dannel’s erection filling his throat while his own phallus was lashed by a warm tongue. His companions’ minds swirled through the mix, sharing his awe and delight at the merger of their bodies and spirits. Their thoughts united, coordinating their bodies to coax every possible pleasure from their joined flesh.
Thane opened his eyes and was dazzled. The pillars surrounding the platform glowed with warm yellow light, making the flowing water descending from the rim sparkle like molten gold. Their bodies were enveloped in a red halo that had expanded to fill the whole platform. Erik and Skorri, engulfed by the anima, had yielded to its power and were sucking each other avidly. Sweat sparkled on their bodies like rubies.
Thane started thrusting with faster strokes. He took Dannel’s ankles and lifted them from his shoulders, spreading the legs wide. His hips moved without conscious control. The surrounding pillars blazed like torches as their pleasure soared beyond the point of turning back.
With a single thought, the three lovers surrendered to the blazing ecstasy coursing through their bodies. Their cocks convulsed in unison, spewing jets of come. Thane felt his cock jerking and sliding deep inside Dannel, gliding through hot semen while still spurting with strong jolts. His mouth filled with the familiar taste of Ander’s seed and the musky tang of Dannel’s come.
They were caught in a web of pleasure as anima channeled from Dannel’s body coursed through them. The air seemed to vibrate with deep tones as the curtain between the kei and the everyday world wavered. Erik and Skorri were wrapped in a tight head-to-toe embrace as each emptied his seed in the other’s throat.
At last their straining bodies relented, releasing them from climaxes extended nearly beyond endurance. Thane withdrew his cock from Dannel’s body and collapsed on top of his partners in an exhausted heap.
Ander rolled onto his back and moved around to make room for Thane. They kissed deeply, sharing the traces of come that smeared Ander’s lips, before aligning themselves with Dannel and bringing him into their embrace.
Dannel looked dazed. “Is it always like this?” he asked, his chest still rising and falling with rapid breaths.
Thane laughed and tousled his curls. “With you, maybe. That was no ordinary tumble. Maybe it was the firestone, or your training. It might have been your long deprivation. Whatever the cause, I’ve never seen so much anima from a new initiate. Defeating the firestone hasn’t changed your ability to channel energy from the kei.”
Ander put a hand on Dannel’s sweaty chest. “And you’re good at sex. Already better than most companions, and you’ve only started to learn about love.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Thane agreed. He reached down and cupped Dannel’s genitals, still warm and moist from Ander’s sucking. “Now that you’re free of the firestone, you’re going to be very busy.”
“Thane.” Erik’s voice was low and soft, the voice he used during a hunt. “Take a look.”
Thane turned and saw him pointing up. He looked toward the sky.
The Sentinel had changed. Its spokes had stopped spinning, and the orb at its center had darkened.
“What does it mean?” Ander asked, sidling close. Thane put an arm around him. “Maybe it was affected by the anima we created. Or it could be signaling something else. I think we’d better find out.”
The air cooled rapidly as they descended the pyramid and donned their clothes. Mist rising from the waters flowed around them and thickened. Thane was seized by a sudden conviction. Danger was near.
Chapter Fifteen
LOOSE rocks bounced down the slope as they descended from the summit, the Sentinel hovering above them like an unblinking eye. They soon reached the clearing where their horses were tethered. Before mounting, Thane signaled for the others to gather around. “Keep your eyes open,” he said. “There’s something strange in the air. Something other than that Sentinel.”
“Can you tell what it is?” Ander asked.
“No. Maybe Pallaton is watching to make sure we leave with the dawn. But it could be something else. It’s like there’s something moving in the kei, and it feels dangerous. So be careful.”
Unease growing, Ander mounted his horse and turned into the forest. Losing sight of the Sentinel and its unnatural light eased his apprehension some. They rode silently, senses straining, in unspoken agreement to collect their belongings from the guardians’ lodge and leave the valley without further delay. Even Thane had said it would be unwise to test Pallaton’s patience.
They soon emerged from among the pines and cypress. The valley floor lay below, the lodge to their left, and Aerehoth Gate in the distance to their right. Erik reined in his horse and pointed. “A convoy,” he said. “At the pass. See it?”
Ander stopped and stared. At first he saw nothing; the hunter’s eyesight was keen as an eagle’s. Then he saw what Erik had noticed. A short distance below the pass, the Sentinel’s light glinted off metal. A moment later he saw the indistinct shapes of robed figures moving down the slope.
Dannel scowled. “They must have left Skarn as soon as the Sentinel appeared and ridden without rest. They’ll post a guard at the pass while searching the rest of the valley.”
“Is there another way out?” Thane asked.
Dannel shook his head. “That pass is the only way, as far as I’ve been told. They’ll know we’re here and won’t stop searching until they find us. Dogs will get our scent from the lodge. There’s no escape.”
“Then we fight. If they don’t leave many men at the pass and we take them by surprise, we might get through.”
“Won’t work. They’ll leave more than enough guards. And they’ll all be guardians. It would help if Erik had his bow, but he doesn’t. I could hold off a few, but not for long.”
“We’re forgetting something,” Thane said. “We know a place where they can’t follow. Not unless they’ve learned to open doors requiring magical keys.”
Ander sat up straight, grasping at the shred of hope. “The underground library. W
ho knows, there might even be a passage that leads out of the valley.” A moment later he frowned and settled back into his saddle. “But the entrance is on the wrong side of the Aerehoth Gate. We can’t reach it.”
“We can try,” Thane said. His determination was almost enough to calm Ander’s fears.
“Whatever you decide, you’d best decide it fast,” Dannel said. “They’ll be sending out scouts. Before long we’ll have to fight just to reach the Gate.”
“You’re right,” Thane agreed. “Let’s go.”
Moments later they were galloping across the clearing at breakneck speed. Ander bent low over his horse, hugging it with his legs as his bones shook to the jarring stride. They plunged into the forest again, this time following a narrow trail. Tips of branches grazed his head, and pine needles clung to his hair.
Soon the forest cleared. A cliff rose majestically before them, its stone appearing to glow beneath the Sentinel’s eerie light. They pounded down the sand-swept road at the cliff’s base. Ander squinted as gritty sand flew, stinging his face. The air smelled of horse and dust. Rounding the shoulder of a bluff, they entered the courtyard at the foot of the Aerehoth Gate.
Ander was taken aback when he saw the barrier blocking the Gate. The descriptions he’d heard didn’t do justice to the thrumming curtain of energy filling the huge doorway. Low vibrations shook the earth, making their mounts raise their heads and look around with wild eyes. Ander calmed his horse, then swung out of his saddle. Anima whipped him like searing desert winds. Looking up at the towering rip in the world’s skin made him feel like an ant before a bonfire.
Thane dismounted and handed his reins to Erik, then joined Ander a few yards from the threshold. A line in the sand, slowly weaving like an undulating snake, showed the barrier’s perimeter.
“I had no idea,” Ander said, feeling queasy. “It’s huge. How can we hope to overcome it?”
Thane reached toward the barrier. Ander’s hand tingled with the pricking of a thousand tiny needles as sensations flowed through their bond. He clenched his fist and grimaced, biting his tongue as his partner probed the fringes of the barrier.
At last Thane stepped back, looking thoughtful. “You’re right,” he said. “We can’t force our way through. And I can’t tell how to undo the spell.”
A knot formed in Ander’s stomach. “Then we can’t take refuge here. We’ll have to take our chances trying to fight our way through the pass.”
“Maybe. But you saw how many guardians are coming. Dannel’s right about our chances against them. It would be folly.”
“What choice do we have?” Ander said. He felt trapped and suppressed a surge of panic. “We have to do something.”
Dannel had been standing to the side, watching silently, but now joined them. “Ander’s right. If our time has come, we should give them a fight and hope for luck.”
Thane’s gaze rested on Dannel, a faraway look on his face. For a moment Ander thought his lover had been overcome by the looming defeat and was losing his reason. Then a resolute expression crossed Thane’s face, and he stood taller. “If we’re going to try something desperate, let’s try something that might work. We can’t force our way through the barrier guarding the Gate, and we can’t undo the spell. But anima is still anima. We could try draining it away.”
The suggestion seemed laughable, but Thane’s expression was deadly serious. Ander took a deep breath, feeling like he was diving from a cliff into unknown waters, then nodded. “I can’t imagine what you’re thinking, but I’m not going to start doubting you now. How can I help?”
Thane took one of his hands and squeezed hard. “Thank you. I don’t know if we can do this, but it’s our best chance.” He turned to Dannel. “You’re the key. We’ve seen how you channel anima. You’ve never been able to control it before, but things have changed. You’ve subdued the firestone, and you’ve started to form bonds with Ander and me. I think you might be able to defeat the barrier, with our help.”
Dannel gaped. “But… I don’t know anything about working magic. And there’s no time to learn. The hierophants and guardians will get here before the sun’s up.”
“Our bond is strong enough for me to help. All you’ll need to do is let the power flow through you, drain it away from the Gate. I’ll worry about trying to control it.” He took a deep breath. “It’s a gamble, though. If the power overwhelms you or I lose control, we won’t survive.”
Dannel shrugged. “I never expected to live forever. If this is our best chance, let’s take it now. While there’s still time.”
“The spirit of a true warrior. I’m glad you joined our cause.” Thane turned and extended a hand to Ander.
“Your bond with Dannel is as strong as mine. Help me link with him. Between the three of us, we might succeed.” He tugged his shirt off and dropped it on the ground. “Bonds are strongest when flesh touches flesh. Take off your shirts and we’ll begin.” He turned to Erik and Skorri, who stood beside the huddle of nervous horses. “You two stay back. If something goes wrong, try to get back to the lyceum. Tell Sorel and Nicolai what happened. I’m counting on you.”
They nodded, looking somber.
“Water should help dissipate the anima,” Thane said, pointing at the shallow streams flowing from openings at each side of the Gate. “We’ll stand there, try to draw it into the channel.”
Ander led the way, stepping into the clear water and walking to the center of the channel on the left side of the Gate. The water was only ankle deep, but it still sent a chill through his boots and conjured images of icy underground caverns. He turned and waited for guidance.
Thane took position next to Dannel, facing the barrier an arm’s length away, then gestured for Ander to stand on Dannel’s other side. They each put an arm around his waist.
Ander felt Thane’s arm touching his own, felt the reassuring warmth of their bond renewing itself. A few seconds later, he grew aware of Dannel’s more muted presence in the link. Though he was new to the art, he slid smoothly into the sharing of feelings. Thane was right; it was as if he had been made for this purpose. Only the hierophants’ compulsive secrecy had prevented them from tapping his power.
They allowed the bond to grow and deepen, opening their awareness to the strange forces surging across the Gate’s portal. Thane’s intelligence, Dannel’s strength, and Ander’s empathy flowed together to create a new balance. It was a wonder unlike anything Ander had ever experienced, but he had no time to savor it.
“We’re ready,” Thane said. “Try touching the barrier, Dannel. Go slowly. Ander and I will direct the energy into the water.”
Moments later a telos light appeared in the water at their feet. Ander had never seen one beneath water and was momentarily distracted by its beauty. Light shimmered and refracted in the rippling flow, like a circular rainbow behind wavy glass. Thane fed more anima into it, strengthening the pathway, until the water flowing past their feet looked like a trail made of jewels.
“Now,” Thane whispered.
Dannel raised his right hand and slowly moved it forward. Air seemed to thicken around it like a clear liquid as his fingers touched the magical barrier.
A wave of vertigo hit Ander. His legs felt weak. Dannel staggered but maintained contact with the sparkling curtain.
“You’re doing fine,” Thane said, tightening his grip on Dannel. “Think about the water. Imagine the power flowing through you and into the stream. I’ll show you.”
Though the advice was meant for Dannel, Ander followed it too. He calmed his thoughts and concentrated on his bonds. Soon he sensed Dannel’s confused struggle with the welter of impressions and forces. He reached out with his mind, felt a jolt of surprise followed by relief when Dannel sensed him.
Ander brought their inner sparks together, introducing Dannel to the elusive trick of merging consciousness in a bond while simultaneously acting independently. Dannel adapted with startling swiftness despite the strong current of anima buffeting his body.
“Good,” Thane said. They began to breathe deeply, in unison, as he showed the others how to guide anima without being engulfed by it. Ander lost himself in the challenge, even forgetting the urgency of their task. It was like the boyhood game of making a ball on a stretched sheet go where you wanted by tugging and tilting the sheet, only this time they were bending the fabric of the world itself and directing forces he could scarcely comprehend. Only Thane’s calm assurance kept them from disaster.
“You’ve got it,” Thane said. A warm glow of approval surged through the bond. “Open yourself to more power. We have to do it now. Time is running out.”
Dannel took another breath, held it in, and pushed his hand fully inside the curtain of energy guarding the Gate.
The anima cascading through Dannel’s body became a torrent. Ander held tight and concentrated on maintaining the precarious balance of forces in the kei. It was like walking a tightrope through a gale.
Tremors shook the ground. Ander heard the horses whinny, heard Erik and Skorri trying to soothe them, but had no time to look. His mind, along with Dannel’s and Thane’s, had forged an unstable chute through which power roared like a river suddenly squeezed into a narrow chasm.
Dannel raised his other hand and thrust it into the barrier. The rumble got stronger and rose in pitch, like a giant’s roar. The water at their feet grew warm; sand swirled around the courtyard in spiraling eddies. The curtain changed from sparkling blue to brilliant gold. Dannel stood motionless, rigid as a statue. The firestone at his ear sparkled brilliant white. His unguarded expression revealed fear as well as the iron discipline that held fear in check.
Mist wafted from the stream as it flowed past their feet. Sweat ran into Ander’s eyes; he felt himself tiring but didn’t dare distract the others from their task. The barrier hissed like a geyser.
Pressure built in his head. It felt intolerable, even though he recognized it as a mere echo of Dannel’s sensations. He wanted to scream. Instead he ground his teeth together and threw his last shreds of strength into constraining the forces ripping through Dannel’s body.