by D. R. Rosier
In short, I had a lot of questions, and from what I could tell they didn’t really have the answers either, and attributed it to their goddess, and some to unknown facts.
I looked over at Sharon, and wondered for a moment if it was possible my attraction to them was influenced by her somehow? One, she’d been the first person I’d formed a connection with. Secondly, she approved of Lia joining our family, and thirdly, she loved her mother. Lia saw Melinda as a parental figure as well, one who had rescued her and given her purpose. That didn’t explain my attraction to Amara, but then she was an elf, which added another dimension to things.
It was almost a throwaway thought, seemingly silly, but then this was a world of magic, was it not? I also knew first hand their goddess was very real, who could say what was possible? It also occurred to me that the how didn’t matter nearly as much as the what. In the end, all that was really important was that I loved Lia and Sharon deeply, and that they returned that love with a ferocity that was almost continually startling. What we had went far beyond mere physical attraction and lust.
I shook my head and cleared my thoughts, my mind had gone rather far afield as the first half of lunch had passed in a comfortable silence. I wasn’t too surprised that I gave that subject a lot of thought, in many ways my life now revolved around my gorgeous strawberry blonde, and my beautiful Lia.
I turned to Jenna, remembering my intention to get a better feel for her before the mission. We were about to be dependent on each other for our lives after all.
“How long have you been a part of the crew?”
She hesitated a moment. I got the impression she was startled by the number she’d come up with, and then she said, “Five years now. I joined the captain’s ship about a year after I was rescued.”
It was my turn to hesitate, and then I asked, “Family?”
She replied, “No parents. Not anymore. I have a younger sister back on the island though, we won’t know if she has magic for a couple more years. Do you miss your world?”
Well, turnabout was fair play, and I supposed I might have crossed a line. I answered her honestly though.
“Not as much as I would’ve expected. Occasionally I miss a few friends, my family, and some things I took for granted.”
Like the internet, phones, and all that stuff.
I explained, “The goddess did something to me, to make me like the humans of this world. This place feels like home.”
I left off the biggest reasons I didn’t miss home, Lia and Sharon. I also knew if the goddess hadn’t come and taken me here, I would’ve died on that day. Surprisingly though, that last reason didn’t really help all that much, or at least not nearly as much as the former. I felt Sharon squeeze my leg, and gave her a quick smile.
Jenna looked interested in that, I mean the goddess part, but she let it go. I hadn’t really shared much of that with anyone outside of Lia, Sharon, and her mother.
Jenna said, “I’m looking forward to the mission, it’s my favorite part of what we do. I just wish I could see the look on the king’s face when he finds out.”
Lia snickered, “I imagine he’ll not let all the diviners off the island at the same time ever again.”
Sharon snorted in amusement.
I changed the subject.
“What will happen to the people we captured?”
Melinda looked at me a moment, and then answered, “We’ll let them off near one of the other islands, we looted a few small life boats. They don’t know anything, and down in the brig they won’t know where we went, or what we did. Not for sure anyway. They don’t even know what they were doing where they were. There’s no reason to keep them past the mission. Why?”
I thought about that and agreed. The enemy crewman knew we were headed for Pheles, or could guess, but the king would know that too, just as soon as the twenty-three sorceresses disappeared from under his nose.
“I was just curious. I know we don’t have a jail on the island.”
I also didn’t believe the captain or crew had it in them to kill in cold blood. I know I didn’t. Still, I left that part off…
After lunch, the captain put us all on detached duty, including Marie. The kitchen would have to get along without her.
We spent the rest of the afternoon experimenting with shock waves, and I paid very close attention. Besides the opportunity to ogle my mates, I could easily track how much magic, heat, and pressure they were using to generate what results. Which meant I’d be able to duplicate what they did on their own, as long as they were within my reach.
It would never be a precise weapon, or safe to use around a population. We could sort of control the width, but only at the much lower pressures. Higher pressures would cause a larger dispersal angle once it got passed the small channel created when the magic was dropped on one side. Distance was something else altogether, while it was possible to change it, the wave would only have enough force to destroy its target if the wave still had a long way to go.
Regardless, it was an interesting afternoon, and we learned what worked well, and just as importantly, what didn’t. I also got to know Jenna and Marie a bit better.
Previously, all I knew about Marie was that she was friendly, and always had a smile going. She was of course, far more complicated than that, everyone was. I knew I still hadn’t more than scratched the surface there. Marie did smile a lot, yet she wasn’t one of those perpetually happy people either, so it wasn’t as annoying as it sounds. Jenna’s sense of humor was rather acerbic, and like her face, mischievous. She was an equal opportunity poker though, and quite often her humor was self-deprecating.
Lia was the most ambitious one in the group, serious. She did smile, but not very often, and mostly for me. Once I’d gotten to know her, it wasn’t a surprise that she’d managed to make first mate at the young age of twenty-two.
Sharon of course was the youngest, but she had a way about her that was hard to explain. She was a natural leader, and had an unshakable equanimity about her. My observations could have been biased there, because I knew she had faith in me, and trusted me. She had from the first moment we met.
It was getting a bit late when I asked, “So, what’s the story exactly. I know we’re posing as farmers delivering produce, but is it common for four young ladies to travel with one man?”
Lia shook her head, “Actually it isn’t. Our story will be as close to the truth as possible. You’re a young farmer who just started your own farm, with two new very lucky wives.”
She winked, and then continued, “You volunteered to escort these two as well, since the farmer next door, an old friend of the family, is getting too old to travel, and he has no sons to inherit.”
I frowned, for two reasons, actually make that three, “They don’t look much like sisters. And they look way too young to have an old man for a father.”
Jenna’s hair was a very light blond, just short of white blonde, and Marie’s was a vivid golden blonde. Marie’s skin was darker, and while both were beautiful their facial features were completely different.
The third reason for the frown was left unsaid. I was reminded of my first night in sorceress haven. This was the first time in over two months that I’d felt Lia’s magic tip me off to deception. I shook that off though, it truly was in the past and long forgiven.
Jenna got a teasing wide eyed innocent look, “We both take after our mothers, our father had two mates and died in an accident. It’s our grandfather that’s too old to travel.”
She lost the teasing look, mostly, and added, “That’s fairly common actually, for those that have more than one mate bond.”
I nodded, and tried to think of other ways to poke holes in the plan. I knew a lot about my new world, but as I’d just proved, there were a lot of subtle differences that I hadn’t really picked up on yet.
“Shouldn’t there be two wagons then?”
Lia smirked, “We’ve got a board to split the space in the wagon. It’s the neighborly thin
g to do.”
I gave up, though I was sure something would come up…
Chapter Eighteen
After dinner, Lia and I retired to her cabin. It was the largest on ship, next to the captain’s, and from what I understood the three of us would be sharing it. Tomorrow night, but tonight Sharon was staying in her old cabin for one more night to give Lia and I the same privacy Sharon and I shared last night to create the bond.
Lia had a pixie like beauty, at just five foot two, and she had long light brown hair, the color of caramel, her eyes were deep brown, the color of milk chocolate, and were quite wide. She had a sexy petite body, with generous B cups that looked almost too big on her small frame, and although petite she was curvy in all the right places.
Right then, she had a slight smile on her face that looked both eager and nervous. There was also a trace of guilt there, and I didn’t know how to interpret that.
I looked away for a moment to gather my thoughts, and check out the berth. It wasn’t much bigger than the tiny cabins the crew had, maybe a third bigger. The bed was about queen sized, which would fit the three of us, it also took up about half the room. There was a small dresser/wardrobe combo against the wall across from the bed. There was also a chest at the foot of the bed, and one small night table next to the bed. The other side of the bed was flush against the wall.
I closed the distance, and took her into my arms. I traced lines on her back, and caressed her hair as I leaned down and claimed her lips.
She responded, her lips soft and yielding. She even melted into me a little bit, but was stiffer than usual.
I broke the kiss and asked, “Are you nervous? I’ll be gentle our first time. I know…”
I stopped talking when she blushed, and looked away in shame.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a confused yet gentle tone, not wanting to jump to conclusions. I swept her up in my arms, and put her on the bed, and joined her.
I put my arm around her, and pulled her into my chest and caressed her hair, while my mind spun. I knew up until now, she’d been eager to sleep with me, often pushing the envelope herself during our make out sessions over the last couple of weeks. I knew she wanted me, so what was bugging her?
She sighed, “There’s something I have to tell you, I’m not worried about you being gentle. Sharon told me all about…” she blushed and paused a moment before she continued.
“You know what happened to the captain, how Sharon was conceived?”
I did of course, she’d been raped at the age of sixteen by a government asshole, before she was rescued. When my mind finally made the connection, my blood began to boil and I felt her stiffen in my arms. I calmed down slowly, and kept my silence until my anger had retreated.
“What happened?”
She nuzzled closer into me, and was silent for a few moments.
“It’s more common than Sharon implied. I’m sure you’ve noticed, women with magic are blessed with good looks. It’s one of the reasons I became so focused on rescuing others, and rose so quickly in the ranks. I was almost obsessed, and always working. Until you, I hadn’t felt any attraction or inclination towards another man. Not for six years.
“So… you don’t have to worry about it being my first time, I’m not intact. I wanted to tell you sooner, but every time I tried I couldn’t get it out. When we were together, all I wanted to do was enjoy our time together. I should have told you sooner and I’m sorry. I suppose a part of me even thought you might reject me if you knew the truth.”
I held her tighter, and kissed her hair while the conflicting feelings felt like a storm in my mind. I was angry, but not at her, at the man who had done this to her. I also knew she didn’t need my anger right now, she needed my love and understanding. That didn’t mean it was easy to suppress the urge to go hunt down the asshole and end his life.
I was also naively shocked. I’d thought in a world where sex quite literally equated to marriage, it would mean that rape wasn’t a thing. Of course, that was stupid. Two people who cared for each other couldn’t sleep together without a bond forming, but rape would be a different story.
For the man it was about power and dominance, for the woman it would be a violation. Of course that wouldn’t form a bond. Maybe it had been naïve to not think of that before now, but then all that really said about me was I wasn’t a rapist asshole intent on getting around the rules.
“I love you Lia, are you sure you’re ready?”
She nodded against my chest, “Very ready. I want you more than you know, but I had to tell you before you… discovered it for yourself.”
Of course, the subject matter had quite handily killed the mood, not to mention the small ember of anger burning in my stomach. Suddenly the oppression of the kingdom was personal to me, and I had another reason to worry about the mission.
I was no longer worried about being caught, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to stand by and focus on the mission, if I saw abuses like that, and others. It had all been dry knowledge in my mind until this moment, and then suddenly it was very personal, as it had deeply affected someone I loved and treasured. I imagined how oppressive the king and his guards, and his sorcerers would need to be to force the population into giving up their daughters, every single one, at the age of sixteen.
Not only to have their power taken away if they had it, but also knowing that they’d be mistreated and quite possibly raped. They’d said the women weren’t the same after having their magic stripped, but I suddenly wondered how much of that was for another reason altogether.
Now, simply rescuing a handful of women, even twenty-three, was no longer enough in my mind. I swore in that moment, that I would find a way to do more. I wasn’t sure how, or when, but I’d figure it out. I couldn’t save the world, there would always be men like that, but it was different when it was institutionalized, and an ingrained and accepted part of a society.
I most definitely wasn’t in the mood any more. Lia felt good in my arms, her body soft and yielding, and I loved her more than I could say, but I was too angry and upset. I didn’t want to sleep with her for the first time when I felt this way. I wanted to make love to her, not fuck her, and right now I doubted I could do that. I also knew if I didn’t, she’d read it as rejection because of what happened to her.
I did wish she’d have told me sooner. Working through this anger on the night we were to be bonded wasn’t exactly ideal.
Of course, there was no rush either, we had time.
I kissed her head again, and then said, “I’m sorry that happened love.”
I pulled her up my body, and claimed her lips. This time, she kissed me back passionately, her whole being behind it as she surrendered herself to me, heart, soul, mind, and body. I moaned softly, this was the Lia I knew, and what I’d expected earlier.
I felt a rush of lust as her soft hands explored me much more freely and boldly than ever before, we didn’t have to hold back this time, and we both embraced that whole heartedly as my hands too wandered along her supple and sexy body.
I also felt an overwhelming wave of deep affection, along with a deep, tender, and loving regard for the beautiful woman in my arms. The anger melted away, and it appeared that I’d completely underestimated her power over me.
So much for not being in the mood.
I acknowledged that the anger and determination to end the status quo would be back, but right then in that moment, it was easily dismissed as I lost myself in her scent, taste, and the feel of her shapely soft body against mine. Lia became the focus and center of my world as our kiss deepened further, and we started to undress each other at a fevered pace.
Lia’s angelic voice was breathy as she said, “I love you Tony, I can’t wait any longer to be yours, please,” she said the last word almost plaintively in a begging tone of voice. Her passionate words made my cock twitch, and it also made me need her desperately.
I reached down between her legs, her soft supple body now free of clo
thes, and so warm and soft against mine.
She was wet, more than wet enough, and I felt another surge of lust along with the softer emotions. It was quite a boost to the ego as well, to know how much she wanted me.
She was wet enough, but when I slipped a finger into her while I caressed her face with my other hand, and kissed her softly, I realized she wasn’t as ready as I’d thought. She might have lost her virginity, but it was six years ago. She was incredibly tight.
I broke the kiss, and kissed down her neck, while I teased her labia open with my fingertip, and put pressure on her clit with my thumb, through the hood.
She gasped, as I kissed myself down to her chest. Her breasts were perfect, pert, and firm, yet soft and yielding as I kneaded one with my other hand, while I teasingly circled her other nipple with my lips and tongue. She arched her back, and ran her hands through my hair, and then gasped in shocked delight as I took her nipple in my mouth, and slid my finger further between her silken folds, and into her extremely tight pleasure.
I knew she wanted it to be now, she wanted my cock inside of her, and I badly wanted it too, but I wanted her to be ready for it. I was above average that way, and knew I’d fill her up completely, I wouldn’t rush it.
She got even wetter under my ministrations, and when I scented the state of her arousal I had a sudden urgent need to taste it. She sighed in loss when I abandoned her nipple and started to kiss down her flat stomach, and sighed in pleasure and opened her legs further as I started to work her open with my finger.
When I didn’t stop kissing down her body, and made it down to her thighs she froze for a moment, perhaps in confusion or surprise.
“What are you…” she started to ask in a breathy voice, but her words were cut off in a gasp as I licked her labia, and tongued the hood of her clit as I worked my finger a little faster and in a circular grinding motion, as well as a thrusting motion. I partially bent my finger and massaged inside of her as I slipped my tongue between the folds of her hood and grazed her clit with the hot tip of my tongue.