by Robin Roseau
"No one would do all that. They don't provide cooking classes and have video game tournaments or take spouses on business trips to exotic places."
Raelyn leaned forward. "What do you suppose those things cost?"
"Thousands."
"All right," Raelyn said. "For the sake of discussion, let's say I was really offering this job to Dyson, exactly as stated." She turned to him.
He didn't wait for an answer. "Yes."
"We haven't talked salary."
"I don't care. You won't offer a pay cut-"
"But-" said Felicity.
Raelyn turned back to her. "If someone sends me after Dyson," she said, "she's not looking for the cheapest labor she can find. She's looking for the best. And then she's going to have a significant investment in him. There's the investment just to recruit him. But over the next two years, he's going to become invaluable to the company. The lost knowledge if he is lured away is huge. I'm not placing cogs in a wheel, Felicity. I am finding highly trained, highly qualified individuals who are going to undergo even more training specific to the needs of their employees. My clients are deeply motivated to retain the staff I find for them."
"All right," Felicity said, "but-"
"You said thousands. Dyson, what would your workstation cost?"
"Maybe four or five grand."
"Call it four grand a year, then," Raelyn said. She turned back to Felicity. "Pocket change."
"The trips-"
"Legitimate team-building," Raelyn said. "The costs aren't that bad."
"Ten grand-"
"Per couple, per trip," Raelyn suggested. "Twice a year. So? Who is going to walk away from a perk like that?"
Felicity stared.
"My clients demand an enormous amount from the people I find for them," Raelyn continued. "Spouses tend to bitch about long hours. If you pay the employees more, that shuts the spouse up for about ten minutes until he or she decides that's just what they're owed, and she begins to bitch again. But take her on a trip once or twice a year. Let her get to know the boss outside of the office. Liquor her up a little. Spoil her. She stops bitching."
"No one does this," Felicity said.
"Not for an entire company," Raelyn agreed. "But I'm placing highly specialized people in very unique positions, and the offers I've arranged have included exactly what I demonstrated tonight."
"No one says 'no'," I said.
"That's right. No one says 'no'." She shrugged. "We're talking maybe twenty-five grand a year, but maybe less. But that's cheaper than turnover, and it's not like I'm placing fifty-grand a year employees. If I were recruiting Dyson, it would be for a position worth three times that."
She shrugged. "I spent one evening learning what he wants. And I tailored a pitch specifically for him. If I were going after someone else, the pitch might be different. If I were going after one of his single friends, then Lyra's role would have been best titled Potential Girlfriend."
Felicity laughed. "If you could make it a promise, you could offer a pay cut and get him."
"Sometimes it doesn't take much. I had one recruit whose husband loved the opera. We got him on our side with annual box seats. I had another recruit who raised puppies who later become assistance dogs for the disabled. Those dogs need a lot of socializing, and she didn't want to take a job that kept her from raising the dogs. So the offer included permission to bring the dogs to work and an annual donation to the organization she works for. It was more involved than that, but the dogs were a sticking point. I make sticking points go away. But to do so, I need to know what they are."
She looked at me and caressed my cheek, then turned back to Felicity. "I was in the middle of recruiting someone when her mother had a stroke. The woman was young, and the entire family was devastated. I grabbed my client, and the two of us took care of everything. We brought in the mail, walked the dogs, and made sure there was food in the refrigerator. We visited at the hospital. My client brought books and read to the woman. We got them through the ordeal, and when it was over, the woman I was recruiting asked, 'How can I ever repay you?' And my client said, 'Come work for me.' And of course, she did."
Raelyn shrugged. "The brother of a recruit was in trouble with the law. We made it go away. He wasn't a bad guy; he'd made some mistakes. We got him straightened out while we were at it. I had another recruit who had been abused in previous relationships, and she was afraid to leave her front door. All she wanted was to feel safe. So we found ways to make her feel safe."
She shook her head. "Most of the time, it's not like that. Most of the time, it's just money and some simple perks. Some of my recruits are young with a lot of debt from college. We put them on a plan to erase the debt and get them into a nice home. It's just money, and usually not all that much, in the scheme of things."
She smiled. "So, Dyson. Have I answered your question?"
"And then some," he said. "I wouldn't suppose the job is real."
Raelyn laughed. "Sorry."
He sighed dramatically. "I never even had a chance to play hard to get."
I gazed at Raelyn. "Don't worry, Dyson. Neither did I."
Jaime snorted his laughter.
Raelyn turned to me. She smiled. "As for that. I'll drive you home. Tomorrow."
I barely hesitated. "Okay."
A few minutes later, hugs delivered, thank yous offered, good nights spoken, my friends were gone. I found myself pressed against Raelyn's front door, her body against mine, our mouths together. I moaned into the kiss and squirmed against her body.
Raelyn finally broke the kiss. My eyes fluttered open, and I stared into her eyes. We were both panting, and she was flushed. I presumed I was as well.
"I want you," she said throatily.
"Then take me," I replied.
"You've never made love with a witch before. This will be like nothing you've ever experienced."
"I'm sorry I can't do the same things-" She pressed fingers to my lips.
"Will you let me do to you what I want?" I nodded slowly. She stared into my eyes for a minute, smiling. Then she took my hand and tugged me to her bedroom.
When we arrived, she spun me to her, her hands on my hips. I set mine on her shoulders. "I want you to let me do everything," she said. "Can you do that?"
"For now."
She smiled again. "Stand here." Then she backed away from me and began to undress, slowly. I smiled as she unwrapped herself like a present for me. She opened her body to me, a little at a time: her arms, her long legs, her uplifted breasts. I licked my lips, my ardor rising as I watched. She left her lace panties on but then stood before me as I openly admired her body.
It was a good body, a fine body. She kept herself in amazing shape.
"How much of that is exercise?" I asked throatily. "And how much is magic."
She smiled but didn't answer. Instead she asked her own questions. "Do you like?" I nodded. "Do you want?" I nodded again.
"You know I'm bookish, Raelyn."
She moved closer, not taking a direct path to me. "Stay there," she said. She moved to my side, setting one hand on me. "I know what you are, Lyra," she said, stepping behind me and running her hands across me. "We're getting to know each other, and I know you'll have more surprises for me. But I like everything I see." She moved in front of me, having walked entirely around me. "I am going to enjoy every little bit of you."
I reached for her but she stepped away quickly, waving a finger at me. "No, no," she said. "I'm in control here."
"I want you."
"Tell me that I'm in control."
I stared for a moment. "You're in control."
"Good. Remember that." She stepped back to me. This time when I reached for her, she took my hands and moved them to her shoulders, her bare shoulders. Then she began undressing me, just as slowly as she had undressed herself. As she exposed more and more of me, she ran her fingers across the freshly bare skin. She kissed my shoulder. She caressed my arms. She slid her hands down my body,
stripping my panties from me. And as slowly as she had moved, it felt like it had been no time at all before I stood naked before her.
She looked me up and down and smiled. "Lovely," she said.
"I'm not-"
"Quiet," she said firmly. "No negativity, Lyra. This is you. This is lovely. I want you so much I can taste my need." She moved closer and pulled me against her. We wrapped arms around each other and kissed, kissed deeply, and I could taste her hunger and my own. We moaned together.
And then she led me to the bed, still kissing, walking backwards and then drawing me across the bed, laying me down amongst the pillows, still kissing, our bodies stretched out beside each other.
She shifted, pressing me back, kneeling, leaning over me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and pressed down as she pulled away. I blinked up at her.
"You said you would let me do what I want?" I looked up at her and nodded. She leaned back, pulling her hands from me, and then between us, she began to form magic. I stared at it. It took her some time, and then the spell hovered between us.
"What does that do?"
"Nearly all of my magic is related to emotions. This spell makes you complacent."
"An obedience spell?" I looked at it fretfully.
"No. Just complacent. You could disobey if you wanted, but you won't want to. It makes it easier for you to let me do what I want."
"I already said-"
"The next spell I'm going to cast is a lust spell."
"We hardly need that!"
"It will drive you nearly insane with need. Without this spell, you'll try to wrest control. We'll fight. I want to do this my way, Lyra. Will you let me?"
I gulped while staring at the magic. "That's a real spell. This is all real."
"Yes, Lyra."
I looked past the spell at her. "Is it permanent?"
"Oh, darling, no. Everything I do to you will wear off by morning." She smiled. "Well, you'll be satiated longer than that, and we might both be a little sore by morning. But the magic will all wear off. I absolutely promise you that you'll enjoy every little thing I do to you. You will not have a single regret. Will you accept this spell, Lyra?"
"Do I have to accept it for it to work?"
"No, but I wouldn't use magic on you without permission."
She didn't rush me. Instead she only said, "You're going to love this, but if it's too intimidating, we can just do it the old fashioned way."
"I-" I licked my lips. "Promise me once more."
"I promise, Lyra. It all wears off by morning. I'm not going to do a single thing you won't like, and you'll beg for most of it." The she chuckled a little nervously. "However, I might end up spoiling you for more mundane sex."
I laughed with her.
"I'll take care of you, Lyra."
I smiled at her. My heart was pounding, a mix of lust and nervousness. But finally I nodded. "You may do what you want."
"I want you to be more specific about this particular spell, Lyra," she said. "Tell me you accept this complacency spell."
"I accept your complacency spell, Raelyn."
She smiled. Then the spell began to move towards me. I stared at it as it drew closer then closed my eyes, waiting.
I felt when it touched me. It felt much like Verity's spell had felt, like a net dropping over me. She pressed it against my face at first, but as soon as it touched me, it wrapped around me, surrounding me, even my back, pressed against the bed. I felt it burrow in. Then it was like the spell was gone.
But my entire body relaxed. I felt my muscles relax, and my heart slowed down. I felt good. I felt safe. I felt like I could completely trust Raelyn. I opened my eyes and smiled.
"How does that feel?" she asked.
"Mmm," I whispered. "Nice."
I continued to lie, relaxed, while Raelyn began stroking my body. I could feel her teasing my aura, and it felt wonderful. I murmured wordlessly, already lost in what she was doing.
Her spell had relaxed me and made it easy to accept what she was doing. It didn't make me mindless, and I didn't even feel particularly loopy. I simply accepted what she was doing and was happy to let her continue.
And so I realized she was spoiling me. I realized how good she was making me feel, so quickly, and I knew letting her do all this was removing any last concerns I had about her. If she kept her promises to me this night, if she didn't wrap me in spells of obedience and loyalty, even then I knew she would have me.
And I didn't mind at all.
Her hands grew braver, and I arched my back, moaning.
"Oh, you liked that, did you?" she asked with a lilt to her voice. "Your aura is so beautiful, Lyra. I'm mixing it around, and it makes the most beautiful patterns."
"Feels so good," I said.
"Good," Raelyn replied. "Tonight, I want you to just enjoy. Experience. Accept."
I didn't think I could do anything else, and so I simply moaned in my pleasure.
She continued to tease me with her hands, and then her mouth as well. She kissed me, she kissed me deeply, and she kissed my body, her hands always touching, moving, teasing.
One hand left me. The other moved to my center, and I knew I was wet, as wet as I've ever been. Then she gasped, and I opened my eyes. She was doing to herself what she was doing to me. She smiled at me as I watched her, and then she withdrew her hands from both of us. She raised them towards me, and I saw fingers on both hands were glistening. "Open," she ordered, and so I did.
She painted my lips with musk from both of us, then slipped her fingers into my mouth, painting my tongue. I sucked on her fingers, and she smiled more broadly.
"It's time for the next spell, Lyra," she said, pulling her fingers from me.
"All right," I replied dreamily.
"I'm going to use some of your magic along with mine." She lifted her left hand and began to form magic. With her right, she scooped into my own aura, or at least where I imagined my own aura to be, and I felt her pulling on me. It felt weird, but it felt right at the same time. I could see the magic as she pulled it from me, adding it to the spell she was making.
She began to hum as she worked.
Then it was finished, the spell hanging over me.
"Lyra," she said, "this is going to hit hard. You won't be able to think for a while. If there's anything you want to say, say it now."
"Will you find your own pleasure?"
"Oh yes," she said. "A great deal."
"Kiss me first."
She gestured, and her spell moved aside a little. She leaned over me and kissed me again, kissed me deeply. And then, while we were still kissing, I felt her spell enter me.
This spell felt similar to her other spell, although different. Like the other, it settled like a net. But it felt cold and hot at the same time. I gasped with the sensation. Above me, Raelyn pulled away, now laughing with joy. "Say goodbye to your sanity for a while, Lyra."
I went crazy with my need for her.
* * * *
I don't know how many orgasms she gave me. I don't know how many times I begged, yelled, screamed for "more". And when she offered herself to me, I took her with hunger, sucking, lipping, licking, burying my tongue deep, deep into her folds. I filled myself with the most wonderful tastes in the entire wide world.
She rode me. She rode me in so many of the ways a woman can ride another woman.
I begged at her to use me. I begged at her to take me. I screamed at her to "Fuck me! Just fuck me!" I don't know how many times I screamed those words, many of them while her hands or her tongue were already well inside me.
There were breaks. She needed short breaks. But otherwise, she was tireless, giving me everything I cried for and taking what she wanted.
The spell began to relax its hold on me. What we'd been doing shouldn't at all be called making love. It was having sex, pure and simple. But as the spell began to wane, what we began to do felt more like making love. And it was good and sweet and wonderful.
But then,
finally, hours later, surely it was hours and hours later, Raelyn collapsed beside me, both of us panting heavily. We both lay on our backs for a minute or two, then she rolled onto her side, resting her head on my shoulder.
"Are you back with me?" she asked quietly.
"I-" I licked my lips. My mouth was filled with her taste. I knew she had rubbed her scent over much of my body, as well, and all I could smell was our shared passion. "I think so," I said. "Oh my god. I don't think I can move."
"Welcome to sex with a witch," Raelyn said with a chuckle.
"Did you hit yourself with the spell?"
"Which one?" she asked.
"What do you mean, which one?"
She laughed. "Not the lust spells. Just the ones for stamina." She shifted her position. "Unfortunately, I don't have any to ease the aches we're both going to have tomorrow."
"Do you ever..." I paused, my brain still a muddle. The lust spell had eased, but I could feel the effects of some of her other spells. "Do you ever do it without the magic?"
"That depends on what you mean," she said. "There is no reason at all not to stir your aura. It feels so good."
"I meant the spells."
"Ah. Yes. Can you imagine doing this every night?"
"We'd kill ourselves."
She laughed. "Pretty much. And, um. I used up nearly every drop of magic you had stored. Unless you suddenly learn the tricks to restore it quicker, you'll be low for a couple of weeks. But you weren't using it, anyway. You might feel a little empty, though."
"What about your magic?"
"I'll answer that, then we're sleeping," she said. She snuggled tighter for a moment then said, "How do you sleep?"
"Side."
"Roll over then, and I'll spoon you. Get comfortable."
She lifted away from me. It was physically difficult, but I rolled onto my side, squirming around for just a moment. Then she wrapped me in her arms, snuggling tight against my back.
"Power comes from different sources," she said. "We can talk more about this another night. The most potent source of power comes from misery and death. That's how some witches and a number of fae get their magic."
"You don't."
"Mine comes from emotions, and I'm limited to the positive emotions. Lust, joy, love... That's also why my spells are almost entirely related to emotions."