by Megan Derr
Mahzan's breath punched out of him as slick fingers teased at his hole. Where and when had Binhadi gotten lubricant?
Binhadi's laugh was rough and smug in his ear, punctuated by the same in his thoughts, but before Mahzan could form any sort of reply, he thrust one finger deep, making Mahzan jerk and cry out, thrust his finger deeper into Sule, who took it as an indication to kiss him hard and messy again.
He liked them like this, consumed by pleasure, thinking of nothing but that and each other. Binhadi pushed a second finger in with the first, not remotely surprised that Mahzan liked it to stretch and burn. He went back to tasting Mahzan's skin, enjoying the sounds and thoughts of the others as he pushed Mahzan hard and fast to the edge.
Cemal pushed one of his fingers inside Sule to join Mahzan's already there, loving the breathy, desperate noises that drew from Sule. Dragon, his cock ached. He rutted against Sule's backside, desperate to come, desperate to go on forever—
Mahzan screamed as the three fingers now buried inside him twisted and rubbed just right. "More, damn you, give me more."
Binhadi chuckled, low and hot and evil, against his skin. His fingers withdrew, provoking a needy whimper, but it turned into a long moan as Binhadi's cock replaced them, hard and hot, well-slicked but still feeling almost too big to take.
Almost, and Binhadi laughed at the eyeroll he could feel in Mahzan's thoughts. Holding tightly to Mahzan's hips, he thrust in hard and deep, seating himself fully, drunk as much on Mahzan's sounds as on brandy. When Mahzan finally started to move impatiently against him, Binhadi fucked him in slow, deep strokes.
Cemal pulled away only long enough to get the bottle of lubricant Binhadi had discarded in the grass. When he was slicked, he dragged Sule in and spread his thighs. 'Can I fuck you?' Sule's reply was a silent snarled order that he'd better, and with a hungry smile, Cemal obeyed.
Clinging to Cemal's sweaty back, head thrown back so he could watch Binhadi fuck Mahzan, Sule reveled in the sensations, all of it too much and not enough. Cemal thrust into him hard, and Sule could feel rocks and dirt scraping his back, but it only added more sensation on top of too many, and he howled as Cemal got a hand between them and rubbed him in time with his thrusts, pounding harder and harder.
Mahzan was panting, his elbows resting uncomfortably on the hard, rocky ground, but every scrape and bruise would be worth it as Binhadi did his best to fuck Mahzan into the ground. He looked up, saw Sule watching them, and grinned.
Sule snorted and loosed one of the hands gripping Cemal's sweaty back, stretching it out toward Mahzan. Grin turning into a softer smile, Mahzan reached out and took it, tangling their fingers together as they fell once more into pure sensation.
Binhadi got a hand around Mahzan's cock, liking the snarling-shout that got him, the way Mahzan bucked and took him that much deeper. Binhadi finally let his climax take him, spilling into Mahzan's body, bending over to hold him tight as they both shuddered through their release.
Then they drew apart and watched as Sule came apart in Cemal's arms, clinging tightly to Cemal's shoulders, the rest of his fingers buried deep while his thumb worked Sule's clit hard.
Sule screamed, the world whiting around him, nothing left but the sensations and feelings he shared with the others. He distantly felt Cemal's body tighten around and in him, felt warm, wet lips against his skin—
Cemal buried his face in Sule's throat as he pulled out and spilled over Sule's sweaty skin, thoroughly taken with the way Sule looked well-fucked and covered in come. When he finally trusted his legs to work, he let Sule go and pulled away. I'm not sure we're going to survive if we keep having sex this way.
This way meaning four, or this way meaning with the mind link? Sule asked.
Yes, Cemal replied, making Sule and the others laugh.
Mahzan reluctantly drew away from Binhadi's warmth to start gathering their clothes. "I suppose it's back to fearmonger hunting tomorrow? We're lucky it hasn't done further damage."
"No need, at present," Binhadi said. "The point of the fearmonger was to cause damage that would provoke us to go see Seda. The only way he's getting out is if the blood of two family members lets him out."
"Blood—" Mahzan broke off as a memory came to him.
Yavuz's eyes sharpened, narrowed. "I forbid it. He is locked away on that dragon-forsaken rock for good reason. If he is behind this, he will be dealt with in due course—by me. If he has formed an Oath with those damned dukes, all the more reason to stay away." He held up a hand when Binhadi started to speak again. "The matter is closed. I have sore need of you here, Binhadi, and certainly there is plenty for the rest of you to do. I do not see why you cannot all stay here with me and help to rebuild all we've lost. Surely this Oath cannot be that crippling. Must you go and get yourselves killed in order to break it? Why must you break it? It seems to me you only benefit from it. Stay here and use the bond you've forged for the good of us all, and once I have regathered sufficient military, I will send them to deal with Seda, and that will end the matter for all of us."
He reached out toward the small table beside his seat, where food and wine were arranged. He lifted a cup of pale blue glass, filled with wine so dark it looked black—and swore loudly when it shattered in his hand. Yavuz jerked from his seat, nearly falling on his ass in his haste. "What in the Dragon!" he snarled, staring at his hand, which was covered in blood and wine.
A guard moved forward, but was waved off as Binhadi stepped close instead. "Fetch a healer," Binhadi ordered the guard. He held Yavuz's hand, picked out shards of glass, and threw them aside. Pulling a handkerchief from one of his pouches, Binhadi gently wrapped it around the Yavuz's hand. He spoke softly, something about his voice or tone sending a shiver down Mahzan's spine. "You should be more careful, Majesty. The ghosts here have been known to do violent things to those of the Blood."
Yavuz looked at his hand, then stared up at Binhadi. They seemed to stare at one another for an eternity, the dark king and the darker shadow mage. Some silent conversation seemed to pass between them—and then Yavuz looked away. "Go see Seda, then, if you must. But have a care, Binhadi."
"You took his blood, that's why he gave in," Cemal said, mouth dropping. "He knew arguing was pointless."
"He knew you were the rightful king," Sule added.
Binhadi shrugged, denying none of it. "I don't want the throne. I never wanted the throne. I want to put a stop to Seda once and for all. Then I want to go home, wherever that proves to be, and see what we can make of this without fearmongers and vengeful princes looming over us."
Mahzan pulled his clothes on, then scooped up one of the abandoned bottles of brandy and helped himself. "Then that's what we'll do. For now, I say more drinking is in order. If we're back to work tomorrow, I plan on having a great deal of fun tonight."
LIRANA'S POINT
In all his travels, Cemal had never forgotten, or stopped missing, the scent of the sea. The taste of the sea was something he was happy to live without, but there was nothing that compared to the smell of a strong sea breeze rolling in over the sand and through the village.
Smells like fish and salt. I think you drank too much saltwater as a lad and it's addled that head of yours.
Cemal lazily shaped energy into a bird and sent it to ruffle Mahzan's hair.
"Oi!" Mahzan snapped, stealing the bird with his own magic and sending it straight back—
Only for it to be consumed by shadow and dispersed.
Cemal and Mahzan huffed and cast Binhadi wounded looks. Binhadi, riding next to Mahzan and several paces in front of Cemal, twisted to cast them both reproving looks. "You are not children—"
"Debatable," Sule cut in.
Mahzan leered. "I am fairly certain children cannot do what I did last night, or are you forgetting—"
"You are not children," Binhadi repeated loudly, "generally speaking. Stop acting like it."
Mahzan scoffed. "Your disapproving looks are a good deal less effective after seeing the
same ones while we're fucking."
"I can also use it while you're tied up and unable to participate. We all know Sule is the only true voyeur in this group and you like being the center of attention."
Mahzan made a face, his thoughts filled with grumbling defeat. Binhadi smiled. Cemal laughed. Sule lifted his eyes to the sky, but his thoughts were filled with fond amusement.
Permeating the scent of the sea was wood smoke and roasting fish, and it was filled with the sound of seabirds, the occasional distant shout, and the rushing crash of the surf. It was so much like the home he'd left behind, nostalgia stung his eyes briefly.
And underscoring all of it was the anxiety and fear they all felt because the sea meant they were nearing their destination, after months and months of travel and fighting and heartache. It meant they were mere hours away from facing a treacherous, murderous prince Binhadi had once loved—and quite possibly the fearmonger that had provoked the journey.
Pretending they stood any hope of surviving the encounter, there was also the matter of what they'd do at the end of their quest.
"We will survive, you pessimistic ass," Mahzan snapped, but for all his protestations, his mind was as filled with doubts as the others.
That doesn't answer the question of what comes after slaying fearmongers and murdering princes, Cemal replied.
Who cares? Mahzan countered. We don't need to know now. You and Sule are just obsessed with planning planning—
Says the fool who had to meticulously plot and practice every last one of his shows.
Mahzan cast Sule a scathing look. "You would be surprised how much of my work was improvisation. Start off with something basic and generally appealing, like juggling, then move on according to how the crowd reacts and feels. I rarely planned anything down to the last detail, merely made certain I knew enough to improvise for hours. So la la la to you."
"La la la yourself," Sule retorted. "If you want a plan to focus on, I say we leave. It's what Binhadi wants, no matter how much he tries to shadow the thought, and it's not as though the rest of us are attached to this place. We stayed where it was easy to stay." He shrugged. "We don't need to do that anymore. So let's leave."
"There's no point in preparing for a journey we're not yet ready to take," Binhadi said. "Let's focus on Seda and the fearmonger and then we will plan where to go next."
Sule sighed and slowed his horse so he fell in between Mahzan and Binhadi. Cemal remained where he was covering their rear. "All right, then, let's focus on Seda and the fearmonger. What exactly are we going to do when we see Seda?" He started to say more, then closed his mouth and scowled at the road. But the thought slipped through. Would you prefer to stay in the village while we take care of him?
No, Seda is my mess, and I'm going to clean it up once and for all. Anyway, there's no choice. It takes both my blood and Yavuz's to unlock the door of the room where he's held.
Mahzan's nose wrinkled. I am grateful it doesn't require Yavuz be present. I cannot imagine him being in our group for all these months.
Please don't even suggest that, Binhadi replied, looking pained and vaguely ill.
Given all they'd been doing to one another whenever time and energy permitted, Cemal was in no hurry to imagine Yavuz as one of their number either.
Ugh, he wishes, Mahzan said. I may have fallen back on old habits briefly, but no way was I going to return to them—
You what? Binhadi's thought was as loud as thunder, and all of them drew to a halt as he stared at Mahzan with all the violence of a raging storm. It didn't take mind reading to know Mahzan was suddenly, acutely grateful that Sule was between them. Why the hell were you whoring—
"Don't you fucking dare judge me!" Mahzan bellowed.
Cemal and Sule both sighed, and Sule moved forward and then circled around to ride alongside Cemal while the other two had it out.
"I'm not judging, you Dragon-rejected fool! " Binhadi snarled. "You know very well—"
"You ass," Mahzan said, the words coming out breathless and not quite laughing. "You stupid, possessive, jealous—"
The words were cut off by Binhadi yanking him across the space between them and kissing him so hard Cemal and Sule both felt it when Mahzan's lip split. Not that Cemal was any happier to hear Mahzan had been forced to whore to buy his camping supplies, but it wasn't for the same reasons Binhadi was angry. Well, they had some of the reasons in common.
Mahzan broke the kiss, but he didn't pull away. "Jealousy isn't a good look on yo—"
"Liar," Sule cut in, eyebrows lifting at the glare Mahzan tried to give him.
But it was true—whatever Mahzan's ire, there was no mistaking he liked Binhadi possessive and jealous.
"Nothing has changed since the day we met," Sule said, shaking his head but fighting a smile. "I'm still surrounded by fools. Binhadi, calm down. You know as well as the rest of us that Mahzan has no desire to be anywhere but here. And we all feel bad that's what he felt he had to do."
Mahzan rolled his eyes and finally pulled free of Binhadi's clenching grip. "Spoken like people who've never truly been homeless. Spoiled brats. Spreading for money is not some world-ending tragedy. It's a job like any other, with its own perks and trials and dangers. Pays better, if you do it right. And I'm retired—it really was an exception. The next time I go flouncing off because of a misunderstanding, I'll try to leave better prepared."
"If you try to flounce off, I'll keep you on a lead for a year," Binhadi snapped. "You belong with us. Don't do that anymore."
"I'm not one of your decadent concubines," Mahzan retorted. "Don't boss me around."
Binhadi's shadows came up then, grabbing hold of Mahzan and yanking him over to sit in Binhadi's lap. The kiss Mahzan got that time left Cemal hard, which was not a pleasant thing to be while in the saddle. Sule looked equally bothered and cranky beside him. Cemal heaved a long sigh and leaned over, meeting him halfway for a kiss that made everything better and worse. If there is anything more ridiculous than the four of us, I'm not sure I want to know what it could be.
Prince Seda isn't exactly platonic with his dukes, Binhadi said, amusement curling through the bond. Picture those five behaving this way.
I'd rather not, Mahzan said sharply, and after that, their thoughts tumbled into hot rushes of want and need and affection. They finally dismounted and gave the horses a break from their antics, and ended up spreading Mahzan out and using him in turns, until his thoughts whited out and his only sounds were pleas and moans and shouts of their names.
Because Mahzan did like being the center of attention, and when he was, he made everyone else feel like they were.
And Binhadi was a possessive ass, and the truth was that Cemal and Sule liked it just as much as Mahzan. However the Oath had been made, whoever or whatever was responsible for it, they had bonded true. Even when they were being insecure, defensive, volatile morons, the bond was there waiting for them to take it up again.
Unfortunately, Cemal didn't think they could blame the bond for the fact they were impulsive halfwits rutting on the side of the road where anyone could see them or any beast could come upon them.
There's no one in the area, Mahzan said, thoughts slow and heavy. I don't think I'm getting back on my horse.
Binhadi kissed his brow and moved away to get supplies to clean them all up. When they were ready, he swung up into his saddle and used shadows and Sule's assistance to haul Mahzan to sit across his lap again, bundled close with cloak and shadow.
Cemal smiled at the quiet hum and tumble of Mahzan's dreaming thoughts, soft, warm, openly affectionate things he would never lay so bare were he awake. "I suppose we can deal with Seda tomorrow."
"That is probably wiser, after the past few days of hard travel," Binhadi said as they resumed riding. "If I'd had any intention of facing him today, I would not have exhausted our most powerful member by letting all three of us have at him." He shook his head, the bemusement of his own words rolling around in his head.
; "At least you're not completely foreign to the notion of multiple lovers," Sule said. "I was lucky to get one person to fuck me, and usually only if I paid for it. I cannot fathom all this experience the rest of you have with three and four."
Cemal shrugged. "Most everyone is adventurous when they're young and the opportunity presents. Sex with multiples is nothing…"
"But equal affection for all parties is something else altogether," Binhadi finished softly, staring at Mahzan. "In that, we're all unfamiliar."
Sule grunted in acknowledgement, and they rode the rest of the way to the village in silence.
Given their goal, Cemal had expected it to be…more somehow. Which didn't make sense. One remote fishing village was much like another, and it was so reminiscent of the Isles, he felt homesick again, though only for a childhood long lost. Home these days was the men around him, and that sort of home rendered location irrelevant.
"I'll arrange lodgings," Sule said, dismounting and leaving his horse with them at the edge of the village while he strode off, a soldier on a mission.
Cemal dismounted and wandered off toward the beach, sliding down a sharp dip and stumbling toward the water itself. Far off in the distance, he could just barely see Lirana's Island, and the black fortress that had once been the prison of some of the most dangerous mind mages to ever exist. He shuddered to think of Mahzan in such a horrible place. "So that's it. That is why we've come so far. Seems a fate worse than death, if you ask me."
I suspect that was the point, Binhadi replied. They should have been executed, but Yavuz wanted to show himself as a forgiving king, and I was weak. Now the Heart is gone and hundreds of thousands of people are dead for our mistake.
This isn't your fault, Cemal said. It's Seda's fault. His and the dukes.
Yes, theirs and theirs alone. Killing is easy. Any fool will kill under the right circumstances, and many will kill when merely given the barest opportunity. Forgiving and walking away are infinitely harder, and you are not to be blamed for doing that. Seda abused a kindness and betrayed trust. Stop blaming yourself.