“Thank you, Warden Grimald. I’ll speak with Zahra alone.”
“As you wish, sir.” He left the inner office. I heard the outer door quietly swish open then close. The doorway between the inner and outer offices remained open.
The Head Warden folded his hands on top of his desk. “Before we begin your recounting, which will be recorded, you should know that you’re not being brought up on charges. The entire incident in the ballroom is on holo, and it’s clear that Pyrras attacked you first. However, I’d like some clarification of the dialogue between the two of you, since it seems as though there was an earlier incident. You also leveled an allegation against him. Would you please elaborate?”
“Certainly, Head Warden.”
“You may address me as Warden Tathut.”
“Thank you, Warden Tathut. A month or so ago, Pyrras and a group of his friends were at the edge of Zatler’s Park, near the Spirilene Street entrance. They were behaving like obnoxious assholes to everyone around. When I walked past at the same time as a handful of other people, Pyrras accosted me and propositioned me in an objectionable manner. I told him off in front of everyone and left. Since then I’ve managed to avoid him, although it’s been more than a little inconvenient at times.
“Tonight, as I worked with several people to end the fighting, he got the drop on me while I defended myself against a sword-wielder. I managed to get free. I intended to knock Pyrras out as I had several others, but then he threatened me with a form of rape along with verbal, sexual, and very likely physical abuse. Since I value my safety and well-being, I acted to ensure he couldn’t escalate from words into further actions.” I paused as I weighed my next words. “I’m not sure if it can be substantiated or not, but I’m not the only person he’s threatened like that. I also have it on good authority that he’s succeeded with at least a few other women.”
“You have evidence of this?”
“I do not, but there is at least one house of healing that does.”
“And the women involved?”
“Would have to speak to you of their own volition, Warden Tathut. Although I believe if you were to discreetly visit the house of healing I last volunteered in and have a quiet talk with the chief healer there, word might quietly spread to those who could corroborate it.” I saw his next question form and shook my head. “I’m not at liberty to divulge anything more than that, Warden Tathut. However, I believe I’ve given you enough to pick up the trail.”
“Indeed, I believe you have. Thank you, Zahra.” He paused. “Is there anything else you wish to add to your recounting of events?”
"No, that's all."
“Very well. Thank you for your cooperation. You’re free to leave or return to the ballroom, although I believe the festivities are over for the night. You remember the way back?”
“Take a right out of the doorway and follow the hallway straight to one of the ballroom entrances.”
“That’s correct.” He tapped a holoscreen then allowed his impartial mask to slip for a moment. “Off the record, and for your ears only... Thank you.” He held my gaze for a long moment before waving toward the door.
I took the cue and left as he tapped the holoscreen again, my heels clicking lightly against the floor as I walked away.
JUST AS I REACHED THE first side door that led into the ballroom, Lumi, Sari, Gavin, Ember, Obsidian, and Nightshade walked out. Lumi was the first to see me.
“Zahra! Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Lumi. I’m not in trouble. Head Warden Tathut simply needed me to recount what happened tonight with Pyrras. Well, that and the added details about what happened with him a month or so ago.”
Her face darkened. I held up a hand to forestall her incipient outburst and repeated, “Everything is fine, Lumi.” I stressed the first word ever so slightly, hoping she’d pick up on it.
She relaxed. “That’s good, then.”
I glanced at everyone. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to go somewhere quiet and relax.”
Sari chimed in, “That sounds like an excellent idea. Are we still good with our original plan?”
“I’m still good with it. Lumi?”
“All in, girlfriend.”
Sari smiled. “In that case, gentlemen, I believe we’ll say our goodnights. Gavin, screen me in the morning to set up a time to spar. You’ve been lazy.” The teasing glance she threw him removed any sting from her words.
Gavin laughed as the others snickered. “All right, Sari, I can tell you’re itching to kick my ass around your practice room. I’ll screen you as soon as I’m up.”
Sari turned her attention to the others. “Ember, Obsidian, Nightshade, it was good to see you tonight. We’ll all have to get together again soon for some fun.”
We finished exchanging goodnights and well wishes, then headed toward Sari’s place while the guys headed off in different directions.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Zahra
ONCE THE THREE OF US were safely back in Sari’s home, we headed to our respective rooms to change out of our formal gear. After I'd removed my armor and set the command for the biometrics to clean it, I noticed a few bruises on my arms and legs where some hits had landed during the fighting. They were nowhere near as bad as usual, though, so the armor had done its job. Maybe the recent level-up increased my healing ability? Hmm. Something to think about.
I was about to remove the jewelry Sari had loaned me when there was a soft knock on my door. I checked my holo out of habit then called, “It’s not locked, Sari.”
She entered, then chuckled. “Not quite how I expected to see you right now.” Her gaze traveled slowly over my nude body until it came to rest on the silver and sapphire choker and matching earrings. “Very nice.” She flashed me a heated smile. “You’re giving me ideas.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
“I’d intended to drop off a bottle of my remedy for bruises and sore muscles then get some sleep.” Her gaze raked over me again. “Now, I want to get my hands on you and play until you scream, because the sight of you standing there tall and proud in nothing but jewelry and sleek skin is hot as hell.”
I heard a low whistle from the still-open door. “Damn, girl. She’s right. You, standing there like that, with your hair still up and wearing that stunning jewelry—I want in on this action.” Lumi moved farther into the room as she spoke, closing the door behind herself. “I think Zahra needs a massage with that remedy you brought, Sari.”
Sari’s gaze never left me. “That’s a good idea, Lumi.”
Lumi walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers, then went to a tall but narrow door nearby. When she opened it, several shelves holding neatly-stored blankets and extra pillows came into view. She grabbed a small neck pillow and closed the door before she came back over to the bed. “Well, Zahra?”
I glanced from one to the other. Both were in short, light robes that were loosely wrapped and tied. As I watched, one side of Lumi’s shifted as she put the pillow down on the bed. I heard the tiny catch in her breath as the fabric slid over her nipple. A glance at Sari told me she’d caught it too, although she was still focused on me. A slow smile curved my lips as I made my decision. I sauntered over to the bed, climbed onto it, and laid down on my stomach.
Lumi helped position the pillow to keep my face from being uncomfortably jammed into the mattress, then knelt beside me as I closed my eyes. The bed dipped on my other side as Sari joined her. Then I heard the quiet rustle of clothing and felt light brushes of fabric against my skin, although nothing ever covered me. I realized they must’ve taken their robes off. I lay there, motionless except for my light breathing, waiting.
I shivered as several drops of cool liquid landed on my spine, starting at my shoulders and stopping just above my ass. A pungent but pleasant scent filled the air. I couldn’t identify all the smells, but there were hints of peppermint and oregano in there. The liquid warmed as it sat on my
skin. I heard Lumi and Sari both rubbing their hands, more of the oil’s scent filling the air as they did. Then four hands touched me and swept lightly from my lower back up my spine to my shoulders then down my arms. Gooseflesh broke out all over me as they spread the oil over my skin with light strokes and sweeps before they began kneading in earnest.
I relaxed into their touch as my constant underlying tension dissipated and knotted-up muscles loosened under their skilled ministrations. My appreciation of four hands working in concert grew by leaps and bounds as they slowly turned my body into a pliant flesh doll to be moved at their whim. I might’ve even whimpered in relief when a particularly stubborn knot that’d been plaguing me for months released.
“Stubborn witch,” Lumi mumbled under her breath. I didn’t think she was referring to just the knot.
They continued working down my legs until they’d reached my feet. While I wasn’t particularly ticklish, my feet were an area where a firm touch was definitely in order. Lumi went a little too light with her first stroke, which caused me to twitch away from her. Her next stroke was firmer, just the way I liked it. The two of them took their time, working in some reflexology techniques before kneading their way back up my calves.
I expected them to continue up my legs to my lower back. Instead, Sari positioned her hands and gently pulled my leg out to the side and bent my knee while she pushed my leg partway up toward my hip then let it rest on the bed. Lumi “walked” over my left leg on her knees, balancing against the give in the mattress by resting a hand on my ass. She settled between my legs and then her hands joined Sari’s on my right leg.
I was no stranger to a masseuse using stretching techniques as part of a massage, but this—Sari applying light traction while Lumi worked on the muscles—took it to a whole new level. Especially whenever Lumi ran a single, teasing finger up the inside of my thigh or along the line where my ass and leg met. Sari added a few subtle touches, too.
Lumi climbed back over my left leg. Sari shifted my right leg to its normal resting position, although I noticed she left it spread a little wider than when I’d initially laid down. They repeated the process on my left leg, this time with Lumi on the outside and Sari between my legs.
When they finished, I expected them to settle my leg back into place and continue as they'd started. I should’ve guessed otherwise.
Sari scooted off the bed. Lumi took her spot and started to work on my lower back, just above my ass. I heard Sari’s quiet footfalls on the rug, then the splash of running water in the bathroom sink before it shut off. More footsteps, this time returning. Lumi’s hands left my back and drops of warm water hit it as she did...something. Then Sari sat on the bed near my head and laid her hands on my shoulders. She leaned over me as she ran them down my back and drew them back up. Then her fingers settled on my neck.
Lumi, meanwhile, took the massage in a very intimate—and teasing—direction. Her touches on my labia were butterfly-light and just as quick. Between that and what Sari was doing, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to squirm for more of Lumi’s fingers or stay still to let Sari work her magic. Then Sari dragged her fingertips up my neck and across my scalp as she directed Lumi, “Now.”
A single finger landed firmly on my clit. Lumi kept it pressed against me as she rubbed in tiny circles while Sari gave me a scalp massage. My body tightened and relaxed with Lumi’s teasing strokes. My hips alternately tried to chase and escape from them, but my head and shoulders stayed anchored in place as Sari held me steady. Holy shit. I’d never had an experience like this.
Lumi’s finger circled down sensitive flesh until she was teasing the outer edges of my vulva. “Ready, Lumi?” Sari’s quiet voice floated over my head.
“Not yet.” That maddening finger slid back up, circling and rubbing as she teased me into greater arousal. Sari’s hands went to my shoulders, kneading and holding them down as I tried to shift on the bed.
Lumi hit a sweet spot and exploited it when I reacted. Fresh wetness coated her finger as she dragged it back and let it slide into me until she was a single knuckle deep. She stopped moving for a moment before gently wiggling it. Shit. Little minx is going to make good on her threat from our time in the hot springs. She withdrew and teased me some more, alternating between playing with my clit and sinking her finger partway into me. By now, all three of us could hear how wet I was.
Sari leaned over me. Her nipples grazed my skin as she worked on my lower back. Just then, Lumi’s quiet, “Ready,” reached my ears as she sank a finger deep into me. Sari reacted almost instantly and firmly smacked one ass cheek as Lumi’s finger bottomed out. I tried to jump, but Sari held me down as Lumi’s other hand grabbed my hip. When I was still again, Lumi let go, and Sari eased up.
Lumi established a slow rhythm as her finger slid in and out of my wet heat while she teased my clit with her other hand. Sari was kneading my ass—it was clear that the massage had turned into lovers’ play. If I’d had any doubt about that, Sari’s next command, accompanied by a light slap on my other ass cheek, would’ve blown it away.
“Ass up in the air. Chest on the bed and shoulders down. Keep your knees and legs spread wide.”
Holy. Fuck!
Lumi’s finger dragged across my clit as I moved, causing my hips to jerk. I heard her laugh darkly behind me as she somehow managed to keep her other finger buried in my pussy while I worked my way into the new position. “Oh, you liked that, Zahra? No, don’t answer. Your body already did.”
She wasn’t wrong. I’d tightened around her finger and grown even wetter.
Once I was positioned to their satisfaction—knees spread wide, ass up, back arched and my chest as flat on the bed as my tits allowed—Lumi moved closer. Both her hands were busy, although she was still winding me up rather than truly finger-fucking me.
Sari ran a teasing finger along my spine from my neck to my ass before she leaned in and nipped me, then soothed it with her tongue. Her breasts lay heavy against my back as she stayed there—and then her hands tunneled between my tits and the mattress.
Cool, supple fingers found my nipples and started rolling and lightly pinching them. They soon tightened into hard, sensitive nubs that swelled as she worked them. Right as she gave them a firm squeeze while pushing on them with her thumbs, Lumi sank a second finger into me and applied pressure on my clit.
I moaned. The mattress muffled the sound, but they both heard it.
Sari scooted her knees away from me until she could lean down near my ear while resting on her forearms. “We’re just getting started, Zahra. As Lumi said earlier—this time is all about you.” She kissed and nibbled the nape of my neck for a few moments before she pulled her hands out from under me. She took one of my wrists and gently drew my arm over my head until it lay stretched in front of me, then did the same with my other arm. “Leave them there.”
She moved down next to Lumi and ran a hand over my ass then continued down to my pussy. “Mmm. Getting good and wet.” She swiped a finger through it. “Taste, Lumi.” I heard a faint noise a moment later—the kind made when a wet finger pulls free of an even wetter mouth. Lumi hummed. “You want more, don’t you?” Sari’s tone was darkly sensual.
“Yes.”
One of Sari’s hands rested on my ass. “Then feast.”
Sari no sooner finished speaking when Lumi’s tongue replaced the fingers she’d had in me. Her other hand continued to work my clit, now in earnest, as she followed instructions to the letter. I didn’t know what the hell trick she was doing with her tongue, but man, it sent me skyrocketing several levels of arousal beyond where I’d been just moments ago. I was hot, sopping wet, and trying to ride her face to get more of it. Sari smacked my ass. “Hold still, Zahra.”
Hold still? She was fucking kidding, right?
Another hard smack on my ass said she wasn’t.
It took effort, but I managed to still my hips. “Good girl,” Sari crooned as Lumi rewarded me with an even more insane tongue trick that made m
e see stars behind my closed eyelids. I didn't hear Sari’s next question, but apparently, it was addressed to Lumi since she hummed against me in response. Oh, fuck, that felt good when combined with what she was doing.
Sari moved farther up the bed and knelt above me, then slid her knees sideways until the heat of her pussy kissed the backs of my hands. “Turn your right hand on its side, Zahra.” I complied. “Turn your left one palm up.” I did that as well. She dropped further—she has to be doing a full split by now! was my incredulous thought—until I touched her pussy. “Tease my clit with your right hand and fuck me with your left. Do it until I tell you to stop.”
How? I quickly figured out that while thrusting with my left hand wasn’t an option in this position, I could do a lot with finger motions and twisting my hand in different directions under her. I remembered she liked a bit of pain in her pleasure, so I made sure to get rough with her at times. Each time I did, she got wetter and clenched harder around my fingers.
Meanwhile, Lumi was eating me out like a champion. My legs quivered with the effort of holding still, even though playing with Sari had distracted me enough to keep them from moving. Then Lumi did something unexpected.
Between one lick and the next, she somehow slid under me until her spread legs were against the bottoms of my tits. Now her tongue was all over my clit as she sank two fingers into me while wrapping her other arm around my lower back to hold herself in place.
“Lift your chest and shoulders enough for her to slide under, Zahra. Do not stop what you’re doing to me.”
I braced myself on my forearms and elbows and lifted just enough for Lumi to slide down farther. The scent of her arousal reached my nose. Sari pulled my pillow away as Lumi wriggled into place.
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