by Logan Jacobs
“Someone is going to have to clean this later,” she said with a pointed look at me.
“What? No. It’s your sword!” I exclaimed.
“Yeah,” she smiled mischievously at me, “but you used it.”
“Tell you what,” I offered. “I’ll clean your sword if you promise to help me potty train Storm.”
“On second thought, maybe I’ll do it myself,” she allowed with another shrug. “I love that little puppy, but I’m not a huge fan of training creatures to follow orders blindly.”
“Fair enough,” I said as I looked around.
Both Ariette and I were soaking wet and covered in a thick layer of dirt, grime, hydra guts, and God only knew what else. I forced myself not to think about it and instead turned around to look down the tunnel at the spot where Razor’s light had disappeared.
“Speaking of puppies,” Ariette said breathlessly and pointed to the dead hydra. “That is a damn good guard dog.”
“I want to know how many people that thing has killed,” I responded as I looked at the gaping mouth of the snake’s head with its shiny, sharp fangs.
“I wonder if they want to do this with all of those animals,” she whispered with a sad shake of her head. “Turn them into their own personal guard dogs and killers.”
“Whatever they’re doing, it’s pure evil.” I sighed and then glanced down the dark tunnel. “Well, if Razor didn’t know we were following him before, he sure does now.”
“We don’t even know where he went,” Ariette replied distractedly. “These tunnels go on for miles, and he could have gone anywhere. We’ll never find him by just wandering around.”
“Genevieve might know where he went,” I replied as we splashed through the water, back the way we had come. “We should regroup with the others and try to figure out what she knows.”
“Agreed,” she said with a nod. “Also, I need a shower or five.” She sighed. “Let’s go collect that scumbag you knocked out and get the fuck out of here.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure we should bother.” I pointed at Dirk’s body. It still hung from the pipe, only judging by the massive hole in his face, I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to give us a lot of answers.
“God dammit!” Ariette growled as she glared at the corpse. “That dumbass can’t even keep his own hydra from eating him?”
“Think about the brightside.” I held up two fingers. “One, we don’t have to carry him out. And two, well, one less bad guy.”
“I suppose that’s true.” Ariette gave the body one last contemptuous sneer before sighing. “Let’s go then.” She gestured at the corpse formerly known as Dirk as she passed by it. “This is clean up’s problem now.”
By the time we made it out of the sewer system and back onto the street, the sun had already begun to rise over the mountains in the distance.
The elf and I climbed out of the manhole, and we scared a few of the homeless people that had decided to hunker down in the alleyway to escape the early morning crowd.
“What is that smell?” one older man grumbled as we walked past him in all our sewer system glory. He pinched his nostrils together and shot us both a nasty look, which made Ariette and I burst into laughter. The man was covered in dirt, and his gray hair was so dirty it had matted to his head, and yet, we smelled so awful, even he was disgusted.
Ariette called up a van from the guild to come pick us up, and the poor dwarf who drove it almost had a heart attack when he saw how slimy and dirty we were. Both of us left sopping wet imprints on the seats, and I had a feeling they would probably be permanently stained.
“You guys look disgusting!” Kalista said in awe the moment we walked through the golden doors into the guild. “Please tell me this isn’t some new, twisted form of foreplay.”
“It’s not,” I promised. “Trust me, it’s not.”
“You never know.” The dwarf wore a huge smile on her face, and her violet eyes sparkled with excitement. “Different strokes for different folks, you know?”
“Did you get him?” Maaren asked worriedly as she came up behind Kalista. She was decidedly less impressed by our repugnant appearance.
“Nope,” Ariette muttered angrily. “We got waylaid by a very angry adolescent hydra and lost the guy in the process.”
“Wait, wait,” I interrupted the fae. “That wasn’t even fully grown?”
“Of course not,” she uttered as if it were common knowledge. “A full-grown hydra would have been too big for the sewer tunnels. Anyway, we do know our perps like to hang out in the sewers, but that’s a massive network of tunnels and chambers. Without more information, we’ll never find them.”
“Which brings us to Genevieve,” I finished. “She might just be the missing link here.”
“Well, she’s down in the interrogation rooms,” Maaren said with a shrug. “She didn’t put up much of a fight. It was almost like she was relieved when I picked her up and brought her here.”
“Have you spoken to her?” I asked them. Maaren and Kal both shook their heads.
“She doesn’t have any criminal history though,” Kalista said thoughtfully. “Not so much as a parking ticket. Seems pretty strange a goody two-shoes like that would suddenly get caught up in a terrorist scheme.”
“Unless she was coerced,” Maaren added. “They did offer to pay off her loans, after all.”
“Hell,” I chuckled. “I’d turn to a life of crime for that offer.”
“Alright, Mr. Funnyman, I need a shower and some food,” Ariette grunted. “Dining hall in an hour. We’ll go talk to Genevieve in two. I want her to stew in the interrogation room for a little while. Maybe it’ll open her up.”
Chapter 10
The moment I opened the door to my room, a huge ball of three-headed fluff bounded toward my arms with an excited yip.
“Hey, Storm,” I said lovingly. “How’s my favorite cerberus?”
The dog reeled backward when she got a whiff of my smell, and I had to stifle a giggle. She sat and stared at me as I took my muddy boots off but didn’t come any closer. As soon as she was confident I was back for the long haul, she laid down on my pillow and promptly went to sleep.
As I walked across the room, I was surprised to find that on the other side of my bed sat a dog bed, toys, and food. Somebody must have delivered it while we were away. I’d have to thank Maaren when I saw her in the dining hall.
The hunter had been so intent on making sure that Storm had all the right things earlier, and I knew the gifts had to be from her.
When I got in the shower, I stood under the hot spray for nearly ten minutes before the water sluicing off my body was no longer a dark brown. By the time I actually got around to the soapy part of my shower, it had been almost fifteen minutes. I spent another five just scrubbing my skin pink. Sewers were officially on my list of lifelong enemies. That list currently consisted of only sewers, but hey, I was pretty sure everyone was supposed to have at least one nemesis, and toxic shit-filled sludge was mine.
I stepped from the warm spray and wrapped a towel around my waist. Then I sat on my bed and watched as Storm went to town on a fluffy pink teddy bear. As much as I appreciated the gift, I knew the poor toy wouldn’t last more than a day or so before he had been turned into shreds of pink cloth and fluff.
There was a light knock on my door, and I stood up to answer it.
“H--” Maaren started when I opened the door, but the word instantly died in her throat as she was met with my bare torso. The hunter cleared her throat as her green eyes roamed unabashedly over my washboard abs, and I smirked proudly.
“My eyes are up here,” I said with a smirk.
“Right.” She gulped hard and then she forced her eyes up to meet mine. Her black pupils were huge, and there was a muscle in the side of her throat that twitched as she swallowed hard. She was completely enthralled with my body, and I was very proud of myself.
“Do you want to come in?” I asked cockily as I stepped to the side.
“I just want
ed to make sure you got the toys,” the hunter responded a bit shakily as she walked through the doorway. “Oh, Storm, you’re going to rip that thing to pieces!”
“Thank you for all of that,” I said as I shut the door behind her.
The hunter plopped herself on my bed as she watched Storm play, and every now and again I caught her sneaking not-so-subtle glances at my chest. Her breasts rose and fell quickly, and I could already see goosebumps on her beautiful blue skin. She inhaled sharply as I scooched up next to her, and her fingers twitched nervously.
“You don’t have to do that, you know,” I said quietly.
“Do what?” she asked innocently as she turned to face me. We were centimeters apart, and a lock of her snow white hair fell forward and tickled the tip of my nose. I brushed it back gently as her green eyes traveled from my eyes down to my lips, and her body tilted forward.
“Try to be so proper all the time,” I replied nonchalantly.
Maaren’s pupils got even bigger as she now unabashedly let them travel down my chest and onto the rather large bump in my towel. “You’re a part of our team now. I’d like to think we’re friends. In fact, I’d also like to think we could be more.”
Maaren’s mouth fell open in awe, and then she bit down on her lower lip.
“Only if you’d like to be,” I quickly added as I reached out and settled my hand on her knee. “But your eyes are telling me that you’d like to be much, much more... Right?”
“Yes,” she whispered quietly, and her eyes zeroed in on my lips.
My dick hardened when her eyes locked with mine, and then her soft hands suddenly came up and caressed my cock through my towel. I somehow got even harder at the contact, and that drew a soft smile from her lips.
“How’s that?” she asked as she rubbed gently back and forth.
“Not very proper at all,” I teased gently and let out a groan.
My heart beat a little faster in my chest, and I reached my hand up to cup her chin. All thoughts of sewers and snakes faded from my mind as I drew her face toward mine, and then our lips melded together in a soft kiss.
“I have been wanting to do that since the night I met you in the bar,” she breathed as we pulled apart. “It’s been on my mind nearly twenty-four seven.”
I slid my hands down the hunter’s neck, as I slowly made my way to her chest and then to the bottom of her blouse. I gave the shirt a playful tug and lifted it up and over her head. Instantly, my face was met with her two full, perfect breasts that were barely restrained by a lacy black bra.
“Me too,” I groaned back. Our eyes met, and Maaren bit her bottom lip as she undid the towel. She threw it off my legs, exposing my rock-hard dick and leaving me completely naked in front of her.
“Wow,” she smiled hungrily as she looked at my penis, “I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a dick that looks that nice before.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied with a laugh. “I showed you mine, now you show me yours.”
The hunter smiled in anticipation, and then she turned around so I could undo the clasp of her bra. The moment it slid down her arms, she faced me again, and my hands went to the clasp of her pants. I yanked them down and made sure that I took her black panties with them. She shifted back on the bed and pushed herself up to the headboard before she spread her legs apart and gave me a full view.
I paused for a second as I took in her sexy body. The white mess of curls at her pelvic bone just barely covered her clitoris, and my cock begged me to crawl up to her and slide inside her warmth. Her breasts rose and fell heavily with each breath, which made her pebbled dark blue nipples bounce flirtatiously in the cool air.
“Milton, I don’t like to wait,” she purred as she reached for me. Her voice was thick with arousal, and I quickly crawled up toward her.
Our tongues tangled together again in a passionate kiss, and I dragged my hand up her body and tugged at the tip of one of her breasts. Maaren moaned sharply and arched her back into my hand. Powerless to stop myself, I ducked my head into her chest and drew circles around her areola with my tongue. Then, I blew on the wet skin until it was pebbled and hard.
“Milton,” she whined, and I grinned as I gave her nipple a nibble before I straightened up.
As I centered my body over hers, she slipped a hand between us and guided my cock inside of her. Maaren was so wet already, I slid in with almost zero friction, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head as I bottomed out.
“Fuck,” I groaned. She was tight and warm, and I stayed still for a moment to appreciate the sensation. Soon, her hips bucked up against me, and I knew it was an order to move. I pulled myself almost all the way out of her before I slammed back in, and my hips met hers with a loud smack.
“Oh God,” she moaned as she wrapped her legs around my waist. “More. Faster.”
I complied easily as her green eyes slipped closed, and then I ducked down to nibble on the skin of her neck. Pretty soon, I was pounding into her so quickly that I could feel the fire in my belly grow stronger, and I knew I was close.
I leaned back, wrapped my left hand around the hunter’s hips, and ground my cock deep inside of her as my left hand found her clit.
“Oh, shit!” Maaren all but screamed, and I felt her muscles clench down on me hard and fast.
I lowered myself until our chests pressed together, my fingers still rubbing hard circles into her clit, and the change in angle was enough to bring her all the way to the edge. She let out a scream as her muscles spasmed around me, and the newfound pressure and angle made my dick swell as I spilled myself deep inside her.
I pumped in and out of her slowly as both of us recovered, panting the entire time.
“Mmm, wow,” she said gently as she drew her hand along my chest. “That was great.”
I pulled out of her gently, and I felt a swell of pride at the look of pure joy and relaxation on her face.
“That was fucking amazing,” I breathed out as I lay down beside her.
She turned to face me and lightly brushed a hand over my chest.
“Better than amazing,” she mumbled through her post-orgasmic glow. “And definitely better than Kal’s sandwiches. Thank you.”
“For the orgasm?” I teased gently as I stroked a thumb down her cheek. “Anytime.”
“That too,” she giggled, “but also for just… accepting me into the team. You’ve made me feel like I’m a part of something, and I’ve, well, never really felt like that before. So, thank you.”
“Maaren,” I said gently, and waited until her bright green eyes met mine. “You are a part of the team. Without you, we wouldn’t have defeated Tamber, and we probably wouldn’t have caught Genevieve. It feels right, all five of us, all working together.”
“I think so too,” she sighed as she snuggled up next to me and started to doze off. “It’s much better than being alone all the time. Different, but better. And the… added benefits ain’t too shabby, either.”
Chapter 11
I glanced over at the ringing alarm clock and nearly leapt out of bed in a panic.
“Oh, shit,” I cried. “We’re late for dinner!”
“Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess,” the hunter said with a yawn as she slipped out of bed. “But we should hurry. I’ve really worked up an appetite.”
The two of us got dressed quickly while Storm hopped up on the bed and gave us her best puppy dog eyes. I gave each of her heads a quick scratch before Maaren and I booked it out of the room.
When we finally made it into the dining hall, Ariette was already seated at our favorite table with three plates of steaming food in front of her.
“About time!” the elf exclaimed. “You guys took it slowwwww.” The elf wiggled her eyebrows jokingly as she shoved a forkful of potato salad into her mouth.
“I just wanted to make sure I got all the mud off of me,” I said with a sly shrug. “I don’t do everything at the speed of lightning, like you.”
&
nbsp; “Obviously,” Ariette said with a knowing wink. “It’s not as fun when you’re done in a jiffy, is it?”
The elf pushed two plates of food in our direction, and I inhaled the aroma of hot dogs and french fries as I stared down at the plate in front of me.
“Not the first time I’ve been that dirty,” Ariette mumbled through a mouthful of potato salad.
Even with her mouth full, I couldn’t help but think how beautiful the elf was in that moment. This badass gorgeous elven warrior, with her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, her hair loose and damp on her shoulders, and her skin still sweetly pink from the waters of hell that she had just bathed in. Even though I’d just done the deed with Maaren, I felt a familiar throbbing in my pants as I watched the beautiful fae.
“That sewer sounded disgusting,” Maaren teased from her spot next to me. “Thank you guys for sending me after the kid and not after that Blader dude.”
“You mean Razor,” I corrected as I tore off half of my hot dog in one bite. The hot grease, spicy mustard, and mountain of onions actually washed away the lingering taste of sewer in my mouth, and my eyes rolled back into my head as I devoured the succulent morsel.
While I’d eaten my fair share of hot dogs, like most of the food in the guild dining hall, these were top notch. Every time I took a bite, there was an explosion of juices in my mouth that mixed together with the fixing of poppy seed, mustard, onions, and all the fixings. It was what the ancient human cultures called a “Chicago Dog,” and I always wondered what other marvelous wonders this magical place had in its heyday. Apparently there were rumors that they were a culture that worshiped Bears and Bulls.
“Sure,” Maaren said with a shrug. “Blader, Razor, Knife, whatever. I don’t think that’s what his mother named him.”
“No, probably not.” Ariette snorted at the very serious expression on the hunter’s face. “That’s kind of what happens when you’re involved in super illicit activity. Nobody wants to use their real name.”
“Unless his mother’s name was something equally ridiculous, like ‘loofa,’” I added with a chuckle, and both of the women burst out laughing at my joke.