by Eric Vall
That wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear, as evidenced by the pout on her full lips, but it was the answer that she would have to accept. She nodded. “You are right. I’m sorry,” she apologized again.
“Stop apologizing,” I laughed a little and kissed the top of her head. The gesture was simple, but it was also an invitation. I wanted more than this close proximity. No. I needed more. Nia lifted her eyes to meet mine. She needed it, too.
Upon arriving back at the Napping Nag, I was mildly shocked to see Renuad and Varleth where I had left them. From the looks of things, Renuad had him enraptured, or at least as enraptured as Varleth ever got, with some tale. Part of me was curious as to the story, and I wanted to listen in, but I had other, more pressing matters to tend to. Regardless, I was glad to not have to worry about Varleth waltzing into the room while Nia and I were otherwise occupied.
I had barely gotten the door to our room closed before Nia was on me, something I had repeatedly found to be a tactic of hers. Normally, it was a welcomed one. Tonight felt different though. I hummed against her lips. My hands, while eager, cupped her cheeks. I pressed her back gently.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Her full, talented lips fell into a pout, and a wave of guilt rushed over me. “I thought you wanted this…”
“I do, Nia.” To accentuate my point, I pressed myself close enough that she could feel how stiff I already was. I felt it better to explain myself with my body. She eyed me carefully, then gasped when I kissed her again. It was slow this time, and I could taste the long hours of labor on her lips as I slid my tongue between them. Still, she tasted divine, like a forbidden fruit that bloomed on a hidden tree at the center of a labyrinth garden.
I finally felt her relax in my arms as she moaned. Her fingers threaded through my hair with a leisurely drag. It was all I could do not to purr outwardly.
I started with her blouse, a borrowed garment from a generous shopkeep who had managed to spare a small portion of his stock. It looked nice on Nia. In fact, it fit as though it were made specifically for the Lady Kenefick to wear, but I had other plans. I plucked the buttons one by one until the soft linen slipped from her shoulders and fluttered to the floor.
As I walked her backward, our clothes vanished one garment after another, until we were both bare. There was nothing left to hide behind, and I was ready to put it all out in the open. We fell to the bed and into the light scratch of the sheets as a single unit. Despite the chill that resonated from the window, our bodies were warm from the contact we kept between us.
Nia’s hair billowed around her and flowed like silk. Her chest bounced as she shifted and pulled me further up her body, but I had to allow myself the indulgence to savor the the sight before me. I sat back on my haunches and drank her in. She was an angel, truly, not like the monster in the rift that mocked the very meaning of the word. No, Nia was all porcelain flesh defined with perfectly symmetrical curves. Goosebumps prickled her skin, and she squirmed under the scrutiny of my gaze.
Her fingers splayed over my chest, and she made a soft noise, almost an impatient whine. “Gryff?”
I put my finger to Nia’s lips, effectively shushing her. Her long lashes danced on her skin as she blinked. I didn’t think anyone had ever done that to her before, but if she had an issue with me doing it, she gave no indication. If anything, she welcomed the change in command.
“I’m just admiring how beautiful you are, my lady.”
Nia’s entire body flushed a gorgeous shade of pink, like a freshly bloomed desert rose. Yes, I definitely liked Nia in pink.
“I thought I told you not to call me that.” She smiled, and her hands trailed down my torso until they reached my cock. I did outwardly purr that time.
“Apologies,” I laughed, then smirked as I leaned over to kiss her again. “Let me make it up to you.” I kissed along her jaw, down her neck, then over her breasts. Each inhale was accentuated by a soft moan and a slow stroke until I was between her legs. I kissed her there, too, and was rewarded with more of the pink flush that I was falling for with each passing second.
“Please,” Nia begged after I had licked her there until her body shook, and I couldn’t deny her any longer. I sat up, teased her once, and then I was inside of her warm and willing body. Our breaths hitched in unison as I laid atop her again, and then I began to push deeply into her.
Each thrust was a reminder that I didn’t want to ever lose Nia. Every kiss was an apology to everyone and no one. All our fears and doubts that had troubled us these last days dissipated with each gasp of air. We might have been the people’s heroes. Hell, I might have been Nia’s hero. More importantly, I think Nia was my hero that night.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Nia and I shared a quick breakfast with Varleth, and then set out to see what fresh work the day held for us in helping the Enclave. Great progress had been made over the last few days. The dead had been buried, many of the wounded had been saved and reunited with their families, much of the debris around the city had been cleared, and already houses and businesses were being rebuilt.
The triage tents were still full, unfortunately, as many people had very grave injuries that needed more than magic and potions to cure. I strode through the rows of beds, cots, and rolls that patients occupied. It smelled of medicines and strong potions that made me want to gag from the strength of them but was filled with the growing sounds of recovery as well. These people would pull through, and Bedima would only rise again, stronger than before.
Nia had already gone ahead, and I found her again at the far end of the tent on a stool next to a bed occupied by an adolescent boy. Her arm was still in a sling, but Nia wasn’t one to use excuses, so she worked regardless. With her other hand, she wiped a wet rag over the boy’s forehead. A large bandage was wrapped around his chest.
I came and stood at the foot of the bed and watched. The boy was pale, and his skin was dappled with sweat. I felt for the exposed skin along his calves and recoiled. His skin was scalding hot.
Nia didn’t bat an eye at me, but she sighed with a frown. “He has a horrible fever. He was only found last night, so infection had already set in from his wound.”
“Will he be okay?”
“He will be, but until the medicines start working, I’m trying to make him comfortable and keep his temperature down,” she said softly.
I came and stood next to her, then gripped her shoulder. “You’ve been doing a wonderful job, Nia. I know everyone here is grateful.”
She managed to crack a smile. “Thanks, Gryff, same for you and Varleth.” Nia sat back and wringed out the sweaty rag into the bucket beside her. “We’ve done a lot of good work. This is what being a mage is all about.”
“I agree.” I crossed my arms and sucked in a breath. “I love helping people, I just wish we could have prevented all of this.”
“I know,” she said in a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. “Next time, we’ll find a way to keep this from happening altogether.”
“We need to tell Headmaster Sleet about that talking monster we encountered in the Shadowscape,” I said with certainty. “If monsters are able to speak and think and strategize against us, that changes everything. It was bad enough when they were mindless beasts, but if they can be as intelligent as us…”
“That would be terrifying,” Nia agreed with a shudder. “Things are changing in the world with both magic and monsters, and I don’t think it’s for the better.”
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “Unfortunately, I think you’re right, Nia.”
“Sometimes I hate being right all the time.” She punctuated that with a sly smile as she got back to cleaning the sick boy’s forehead. I snorted in response, which only made her grin wider.
Just then, Varleth stepped into the tent with a whoosh of fabric. After a moment of searching, his eyes found us, and his legs carried him to us in long and determined strides. His hands were covered in dirt, grime, and sweat from an
early morning’s work. My late morning wake up had spared me that.
He stopped in front of us and pointed back out of the tent. “A military airship just arrived. It’s from Varle.”
I squinted at him. “How do you know that?”
Varleth gave me a blank stare. “I’ve been on a response squad practically since the first day I entered the Academy three years ago. I’ve ridden on damn near every ship that comes and goes from Varle. Trust me, that one is here for us. She’s a transport vessel, good for trafficking goods and soldiers alike.”
“Fair enough,” I responded with a slight chuckle, my hands up in surrender.
“We should go make sure that they are in fact our ride home,” Nia said.
I nodded. “Yes, that would be awkward if we showed up with all of our belongings and started to board their ship.”
“Precisely.”
So, we excused ourselves from the triage tent and made our way through the town center. Varleth led the way since he’d been the one to see where the airship had landed, though I had some ideas. If it was as big as he’d suggested, then there were only so many places it could safely land. The most obvious was the same spot that we’d landed when we first arrived in Bedima, that ruined square where I’d been beset upon by monsters as soon as I’d exited the ship. The wound on my arm still throbbed from the mere memory of it.
Indeed, that was where Varleth took us. We passed much devastation on the way there, but the roads were cleared, and the enclave seemed to be abuzz with a swarm of excited energy.
We heard the square before we saw it. There was the thunderous din of hundreds of voices trying to be heard over one another, the flurry of activity, and the loud hum of an airship’s idle engine. There was shouting and cheering, happy sounds and angry curses alike. It was a cacophony, which made sense given what this enclave had gone through.
The square came into view. A huge crowd of people gathered at the legs of a massive airship that was larger than most, with several rows of windows and long sweeping wings that spread out on either side of the ship. The cargo hold had been lowered via a mechanical lift, and boxes upon boxes sat in the hold. Dozens of soldiers streamed around the square. Some stood guard around the hold as they opened the boxes, which were full of food, medicine, and other supplies. No wonder the crowd was so rowdy.
I stood, dumbfounded as I took in the raucous scene, the chaos of it. The soldiers managed to keep everything in order, but it was clear that it wasn’t an easy job.
An envoy of officials skirted around the edge of the crowd for the front of the airship where a smaller ramp had been lowered. I spotted the mayor and his usual entourage as well as their escort of guards. Emerging from the airship were several more soldiers and some officers though I couldn’t tell their rank at the distance where I stood from them. Finally, a few others followed them out, one with a familiar shock of flowing red hair.
Arwyn.
Nia noticed her too and sucked in a breath. “Thank goodness,” she breathed and took off for the airship and our squad leader. Varleth and I followed right on her heels.
We were almost to her when Arwyn’s gaze, which had been scanning the crowd, found us. She excused herself from the people she was with and strode toward us, her gaze both stern and overjoyed. Before we could say another word, she threw her arms around my neck and held me close, her breasts pressed firmly against my chest.
“Thank the Maker you are alright,” she said into my ear, though I wasn’t sure if she was speaking directly to me, or to all of us.
“Likewise,” I said back to her.
She pulled away, her face warm with affection. Then she turned to Nia and Varleth in turn and hugged them both. Varleth seemed to want to squirm under her affection, but Arwyn didn’t let him go. Finally, she stepped back and took in our battered appearance with a critical eye. She crossed her arms and frowned.
“You three do not look all too well.”
I scratched the back of my head. “It could be worse, Miss Hamner. I’m just thankful we survived the battle and closed the rift.”
“Quite right, I suppose. You’ll have to fill me in on all the details later.” Arwyn stepped into Nia’s space and began to undo the sling that kept her arm propped against her side. “Are there no healers here?”
Nia shook her head. “There are a few, ma’am, but there were more pressing injuries than my arm.”
“Hm,” Arwyn considered this as she finally undid the sling and took Nia’s still healing arm in her hand. Nia sucked in a sharp breath of pain, but she allowed Arwyn to do her job.
Arwyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then began to mutter softly under her breath. Her hands began to glow a faint greenish-gold as her magic wrapped around Nia’s arm. Arwyn’s brow knitted in concentration. I’d seen her heal many times over, but it always amazed me to see it at work. Healing magic was one of my favorites.
A moment later, the glow of Arwyn’s magic faded as she dropped her arms and let out that long breath she’d been holding in. She opened her eyes and smiled. “There, all better, Miss Kenefick.”
“Thank you.” Nia flexed her arm and stretched it, running her other hand down the length of her forearm with a smile.
“Anytime,” Arwyn replied. Then her eyes flitted to me. “What about you?”
I shrugged and ran my hand along my bandaged arm. “I have some deep cuts, but they’re sewn up. They’re still sore, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”
She rolled her eyes. “Shirt off. I don’t trust your medical assessment.”
“Fine,” I snorted.
Nia chuckled at my displeasure, and even Varleth offered a smirk. Good, I was glad I could amuse them. I shrugged off my jacket, unbuttoned my shirt and eased it off my shoulders, revealing the bandages beneath and the stitches.
“Come sit on this box so I can get a better look,” Arwyn ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said and did as she asked. .
Once I was seated next to her, she began to gently probe at my wound, and her brows furrowed as she did so. “The stitching is expertly done, but I can do a bit more to fix you up.” So she closed her eyes again and healed me as she did Nia. My arm suddenly warmed as the soothing sensation of her healing magic raced through my body. It was a euphoric feeling that I would always enjoy.
When she was done, she pulled back and appraised her work. “There,” she announced proudly. “You’ll have some light scarring, but you are otherwise fixed up.”
“Thanks,” I said to her with a smile as I prodded at the new scars along my arms. More for the collection.
“How is Orenn?” Varleth asked from beside me. I nodded in agreement with his question and looked with concern to Arwyn. Last I saw him, he’d been gravely wounded. Arwyn gave us a stern look right back. That told me she didn’t have good news, and I held my breath.
“He was wounded very badly,” she confirmed with a hard tone. “He’s still alive, and at this point, his life is no longer in danger.”
That was a relief, at least. I let out the breath that I’d been holding.
Nia too exhaled. “Thank the Maker.”
Varleth didn’t share our relief. His eyes narrowed. “I sense that there is more to it than that.”
“Perceptive as always, Mister Prost,” Arwyn said. Her eyes fell to her feet. “For now, Orenn is in a coma, brought on by the trauma of the attack. We don’t know when he might wake up. There are healing magics that can wake someone from a coma, but unfortunately, it is beyond my capabilities.”
That deflated what little enthusiasm we had. Yes, Orenn was alive, but if he was in a coma, that wasn’t much better.
“Damnit,” I said through clenched teeth.
Arwyn softened and put her arms around all three of us, drawing us into a huddle. “It’s okay. We’ll find a way to heal him and have him back in the field with us once we’re back at Varle. You three are safe, and you prevented Bedima from being destroyed completely. Dwell on t
he positives, not the negatives.”
“Yes, ma’am,” we said to her.
She broke away from us and smiled, arms crossed. “Good. Now, go gather your things. I want you shipped out and on the way home within the hour.”
I frowned. “Are you not coming with us?”
“As you said, there aren’t a lot of healers in the enclave. I’m needed here, but don’t worry, I’ll be back in a few days.”
I didn’t want to see her leave us again so quickly, but she had a duty to fulfill, and so did we. I had to be patient. I would see her again. Besides, I was greatly looking forward to seeing my friends again, and having a feast, and taking a warm bath, and sleeping in my own bed. Basically, I missed everything about the Academy. It would be a pleasant return, that was for sure.
With nothing more to say, we returned to the Napping Nag and gathered our things. We didn’t have much beyond what we usually brought with us on missions. We three all wore borrowed clothes since we hadn’t been prepared for the cold weather. Other than that, we had little else, so we were packed up quickly.
We said our goodbyes to the innkeeper and his staff and thanked them for their hospitality, and they were just as grateful for our help in closing the rift. I foresaw that we would receive a lot of that before we left.
And I was right. We returned to the town center to bid farewell to the people that we’d been working alongside the last few days. It was a long process, especially for Nia, since she was a Kenefick, beautiful, and had been working intimately in the triage tents healing people as best she could. She was well loved. Varleth and I said farewell to the men we’d helped clear rubble with and the ones we had recovered the dead and wounded with. They all assured us that they would buy us a round the next time we returned to Bedima. I had the feeling that I would never have to spend money on food and drink in this enclave again.