Zahra Unveiled

by Trace Komoros

  “Fuuuuck! Gavin... I can’t... I’m gonna...”

  I stopped tongue-fucking her long enough to growl against her, “Fucking cum for me, Zahra!” then buried my face and tongue again. Moments later she came hard as she rode my tongue and fingers and covered me with her juices. I stayed with her and pushed her through every last quiver and bit of pleasure before I eased her into quiescence.

  I licked my lips as I stood and leaned over her. “You, milady, are delicious. And addicting.” I reached down and swiped my fingers through her wetness, then brought them to her lips. “Taste.”

  She reached up and guided my hand forward as she opened her mouth and allowed my fingers inside. Her tongue swirled around them as she closed her lips and sucked. The action gave me vivid ideas of her doing that to my hard cock.

  She pulled my fingers out as her eyes went to where my cock kissed her belly, leaving drops of pre-cum on it. “My turn.” Her voice was husky as she gestured for me to straighten and move back a couple of steps.

  As soon as I had, she sat up, slid to her knees in the tub, and wrapped a hand around the base of my cock while taking three-quarters of my length into her mouth in one go. I gasped as her lips closed and the heat of her mouth enveloped me, then gasped again when she slid back up and did a tongue-dance all around. The sensations of heat and cool as she did that, along with the excitement of watching her, left the veins in my cock visibly pulsing.

  She flicked a glance up at me then returned her attention to what she was doing and licked me from tip to base as though I were an ice cream cone. Her tongue curled around my shaft, lapped at the head, and generally drove me wild. One of her hands moved to my ass and copped a feel while she leaned forward and swallowed me whole. Her other hand moved to my other ass cheek as she did. I felt her master her gag reflex as she deep-throated me before she let me slide out enough to take a breath.

  “Fucking hell, woman!” My hands had buried themselves in her hair, although I hadn’t realized it until now.

  She withdrew even farther and teased me with the prospect of letting me slide out of her mouth entirely. ::Hands off, Gavin. You can watch, but you can’t touch me with anything except your cock.::

  My eyes widened. There was no hesitation, no sense of diffidence in her orders. She knew what she wanted and waited for me to get on board with it, all while keeping me balanced on the knife-edge between the promise of tantalizing pleasure and the threat of it disappearing.

  ::You play hardball, milady.:: I withdrew my hands and clasped them behind my back. ::I’m in your hands.::

  ::Yes,:: she purred, ::I do. Remember that.::

  I almost didn’t hear her as she slid down my length and pulled me forward until she'd buried her nose in my groin.

  It had to tickle since I was groomed but not bare. I also couldn’t believe how long she worked me over with her throat muscles before she had to come up for air. Between that and her wicked tongue action when she didn’t have me in her throat, it wasn’t long before I was ready to explode. Before I could warn her, she slid down one more time, pulled me tight to her face and swallowed me while her order, ::Cum for me!:: rang in my head.

  I shot my load down her throat as my hips uncontrollably thrust against her. Her hands gripped my ass and kept me in place until I finished. She swallowed a couple more times then pulled back until my cock left her throat and was only in her mouth. She used her tongue to clean it as she slowly slid off until it was once again out in open air. She swiped her tongue across the head one more time, which caused me to shudder, then sat back on her heels with a smugly satisfied look on her face.

  I reached down and pulled her to her feet when she took my hands, then tugged her forward and kissed her before I wrapped my arms around her and leaned my head against hers. We stood quietly in that embrace for long minutes, content to enjoy the deeper bond forming between us.

  Eventually, she broke the silence although she stayed leaning against me. “I don’t know about you, but I need a shower now. It seems that baths here at Sari’s don’t always result in being clean.” Her mirth came through clearly.

  I chuckled. “I could use one as well. Although if we’re going for clean, I’d probably better take it by myself.” I brought a hand up to the back of her neck and rubbed it in gentle motions. “Unless you need me to work out more tension, that is.”

  Her breath warmed my skin as she laughed. “No, I think we’ve got it under control for now. No more headache anyway. But I’ll take a raincheck on that offer if you don’t mind.”

  “Any time, Zahra. Any time.” I turned her face up to mine and gently kissed her.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Zahra

  AFTER GAVIN WENT BACK to his room, I set my showerhead to pulsing jets and let it pound on the knots in my shoulders for several minutes. While I hadn’t lied about the tension or my headache, it would take more than what we’d shared for me to get rid of the more-or-less-permanent knots in my muscles. Healer Mithrae had scolded me about them more than once. I knew that massage and deep tissue therapy would help, but there hadn’t been anyone on staff I felt comfortable enough with to let them do that kind of work on me. Now that I was with Gavin, Sari, and Lumi, perhaps that would change.

  Sari screened me just as I stepped out of the shower. I answered audio-only, although she’d sent visual. “Zahra, I wanted to let you know that Lumi will join us before we head back for our meeting with Healer Mithrae. I also wanted to speak with you about your armor in private. Are you able to meet me in the living room in ten minutes?”

  “As long as you don’t mind dripping-wet hair, yes. Otherwise, I’ll need longer.”

  She laughed. “Got you covered. If you look in the shower, you’ll see an orange button near the top left corner where the wall bends around to meet the glass. Do whatever you do for prep before drying your hair then step inside, close the shower door, and push it. Your hair will be fully dried and sleek in less than two minutes.”

  “Okay, I’ll try it. See you soon.” I closed the connection and looked in the shower. Sure enough, there was the button she’d indicated. I combed the tangles out of my hair and rough-styled it, then stepped in, closed the door, and pushed the button. As promised, less than two minutes later my hair was fully dry with no sign of frizz, which was damn near a miracle. The shower and I were both dry, too, which was a nice bonus.

  “Huh. I need this setup at home,” I mused out loud as I checked my hair in the full-length mirror. “Sure beats going through a crap-ton of hair product to try and control it.” I reached for my emerald and black outfit, which I’d set to clean before my earlier bath, then paused.

  Acting on a hunch, I walked into the bedroom and checked in the closet. Sure enough, my gown and the other set of armor Sari had made for me still hung there since I’d never made it home for her to have them delivered. I pulled out the silvery color-changing masterpiece and held it up, admiring the way the light played across the scrolling vines.

  I debated for a moment longer then decided, “fuck it,” and pulled the armor off the hanger while I gave it the command sequence to wrap around me. I squirmed a little as it slid across still-sensitive places and sealed along my spine. I stepped into the boots and sealed them as well before I walked back into the bathroom.

  I stared at my reflection in the mirror, momentarily forgetting that I’d come in to get my emerald armor and hang it in the closet. I’d seen myself in this outfit from all angles the day Sari fitted me for it—less than forty-eight hours ago!—but something was subtly different, and it wasn't the freshly-fucked look I wore. Try as I might, I couldn’t identify what, though. I finally shrugged, grabbed the other armor and hung it in the closet then went to meet Sari in the living room.

  SHE AWAITED ME NEAR one of the other hallways I’d seen but hadn’t gone down my first time here. She tapped a finger against her lips, seemingly unconsciously, as she watched me walk toward her. “Still fucking gorgeous, Zahra. Something’s different, though.�
��

  I shrugged. “Yeah, I thought the same thing. But damned if I know what.” I shrugged again. “I didn’t notice it until after I put the armor on.”

  A very thoughtful look appeared on her face as she gestured for me to walk with her.

  We went down the short hallway, then through another one of her concealed doorways and down a set of multi-level stairs. Although there was no carpet or anything to muffle sound on or around the stone structure, our footfalls didn't echo. Even our breathing was silent.

  Sari noticed me looking around and answered my unspoken question. “Noise-cancelling properties incorporated in faux stone. It doesn’t cancel out everything, like multiple people running or weapons-fire, but it does eliminate most ordinary sounds.”

  I stopped and stared at her. “How the fuck... Never mind. One of your brilliant inventions, I assume?”

  She laughed. “Guilty as charged. But don’t give it away—it’s not one that’s for sale.” She winked and resumed walking.

  We went down one more level and exited the stairwell through a matte brown door that opened to a large room filled with several lab-style table and counters, along with what I identified as a small forge on one end of the room and several sizeable secured storage cabinets. There was other equipment there as well, although I couldn’t readily identify what it was or did.

  “This is my private workshop. You, Gavin, Lumi, and Healer Mithrae are the only other people who have ever been in here. Not even Speaker Aerind has had that privilege.” She pinned me with a fierce look. “From now until your death, nothing you see or learn about in here can be mentioned to anyone outside of the five of us. Even among ourselves, discussions should only happen while heavily shielded. The work I do here is top secret and never let out into the world until I’m satisfied it passes a long list of extremely stringent safety, quality, and performance checks.”

  I had a sudden flash of insight. “This is where you’re working on the nanites, isn’t it? And that’s why you wanted to talk to me here.”

  She looked pleased that I’d figured it out. “Yes. For your ears only, I’ve started work on the next generation. This one will include a limited ability to identify and counter certain common poisons. Unfortunately, it will be minimal at first since I need to build the protocols and expand the quasi-database they carry inside themselves.” Her face darkened for a moment. “I won’t be able to defend you against would-be poisoners and those who'd use drugs on you for quite some time, so try not to put yourself in any more situations where it’s possible for them to get you, all right?”

  I stepped closer and pulled her into a spontaneous hug then released her and moved back. “All I can do is try, Sari. You know the reality as well as I do. Probably better, since you’ve dealt with this kind of stuff longer than I have.”

  She snorted a laugh. “Are you calling me old, Zahra?”

  “Not at all. Simply saying that you’re a Master armorer with more tricks and ways of hiding weapons up your sleeve than any ten people can dream up. Although you might have a few years on me.” I winked playfully.

  “Nice cover, but it’s not going to save your ass the next time we spar. Or go a few other types of rounds.”

  “I wouldn’t expect it to. Now, other than telling me about the next-gen nanites, why are we in your lab instead of upstairs? You obviously had another reason.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I want to do two things. Well, three, really, but the third stems from the first. One, I’d like to get a blood sample and run some tests to see if it shows any unusual marker traits. Two, I’d like to check the nanites in your armor. And three, I’d like you to choose a pair of daggers. They'll become blood-sealed to you, so you'll have weapons that others can't use against you. Lumi, Gavin, and I have them as well, in case you wondered. Once sealed, I’ll finish the last steps in the crafting process—I've already done the hard part of the prep work.”

  I stared at her, dumbfounded. When I finally recovered my ability to speak, my voice came out in a whisper. “Who are you, really, Sari?” I gestured at her then everything around us. “You’re an operative for the Tetrarchs, Speaker Aerind in particular. You’re a Master with a ranked level higher than anyone else I’ve ever encountered, other than Falyan. You’re close enough to several people in my life that you’ve trusted them to be here, and now me as well. If that wasn't enough, you've provided me with tech in my armor that no one else has, and you want to give me a pair of blood-sealed daggers. Even I know those are rare in this day and age—and if I recall my history lessons correctly, they’re notoriously difficult to make.”

  She smiled serenely. “There are reasons I’m a tau Master, Zahra, and they include my skill with armor and weapons, along with my inventions and their applications. I’ve learned a great many things from several extraordinarily gifted and skilled teachers over a long span of years.

  “Some of that knowledge falls under what many people still consider arcane headings, although I’ve adapted much of it to tech-based processes—like this instance, where blood is the agent that engenders a biometric seal. Unlike your armor, skin contact isn’t sufficient for metal objects. I’ve had plenty of time to work on adaptations like this since I’ve been learning and plying my craft for longer than most people, even those as long-lived as supers, can conceive of.”

  She let that sink in for a moment then continued, “As for who I am, I’m a Master armorer who believes in the fundamental principle of keeping my chosen clients safe. Edged metal weapons may be old-school, but they’re surprisingly effective in a tech-based society. In addition to that, I’m your friend and lover, and hopefully part of your bonded team.” She flashed me a sudden and unexpectedly impish grin. “I hear we’re called ‘Zahra’s Harem’—does Gavin know this, yet?”

  I sputtered a denial of the name Lumi had proposed as Sari went on. “I’m considered a super in that I have certain powers to go along with my skills, but I’m not a native of this planet or even this galaxy, so the concept isn’t quite the same. And the chances are, I’ll outlive even you unless I die in battle.” A melancholy look crossed her face before she shrugged it off. “Now you know two things about me that no one else knows.”

  “I'm pretty sure I know more than two. Although I assume you meant your ability to craft weapons using new twists on all-but-forgotten techniques and the fact that you’re far longer-lived than anyone suspects.”

  She nodded.

  “Very well. I won’t insult your need to keep me as safe as possible, so let’s draw that blood sample and get the tests underway. Then I assume the next step is to check the nanites?”

  “Other way around. Test the nanites first, then get the sample. You’ll choose your daggers while I start the blood tests, then we’ll put the final edge on the blades before we go back upstairs.”

  I stared at her, once again taken aback. “That quickly?”

  She smiled again and beckoned me over to a table with a small diagnostic unit on it. “That quickly. Tau Master, Zahra. We don’t waste time or effort.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Zahra

  SARI WASN’T KIDDING when she said she didn’t waste time or effort. She did something with the diagnostic unit on the table after I inserted my arm, then once it beeped acceptance and flashed a “working” message, let it run while she brought me over to another station and opened a sterile blood-draw kit with several small vials. I leaned against the table and checked my stats as she worked, not overly bothered by the needle or the sight of my blood. I was pleased to see that I’d leveled up again—this time, I’d jumped two levels.

  Name/Moniker: Zahra

  Gender: female

  Level: [80] pi

  Powers: light, receiving & projective empath, telepathy, others unknown

  Notes: Do you wish to add a personal note?

  When she’d finished and covered the still-oozing needle mark with an antiseptic spray sealant that stung when it was applied, she brought me over to the forge a
rea then left me alone. There were three racks of weapons, most of them in polished and completed form. I instinctively knew that the first one contained Sari’s weapons. The next I recognized as finished weapons of very high quality, but with nothing to mark them as special other than that.

  The third rack held unfinished projects. I was surprised by the variety, although it made sense. Sari presumably had a very eclectic clientele whose taste in edged weapons was probably just as far-ranging as their armor no doubt was.

  A pair of leaf-bladed daggers immediately caught my attention. I picked them up and promptly had both palms sliced—I wasn’t sure how, but it felt like they twisted as I adjusted my grip. I hissed in pain as blood smeared on each of them and then seemed to soak in, leaving a dark red, almost black residue. The next thing I knew, both wounds stopped bleeding as the nanites in my armor went to work. I shifted the weapons until they were comfortable in my grip and checked their balance before I sank into a knife fighter’s stance then sparred against an imaginary foe.

  I was in the zone, knives flashing as I lightly danced through the patterns I’d learned before I could even walk properly then continued to hone as I grew older when a pair of bright, razor-sharp daggers took the place of my imaginary opponent. I reacted instinctively. My knives came up in a one-two counter that deflected the others and sent them spinning out of my live opponent’s hands. I continued with the move that would either disable or kill my foe and then realized that it was Sari, and she’d yielded.

  I checked the move and stepped back, my heart pounding with both exertion and shock as I realized how close a call it had been. She showed no such signs. “Fucking hell, Sari! I could’ve killed you if I hadn’t realized who it was in time!”

  She shook her head, completely unruffled by my outburst. “You wouldn’t have killed me. You realized who it was almost as soon as you started the move. Even if you hadn’t, I still could’ve countered at least three ways, if not more.” She dipped her head respectfully. “Although you’d have made me work if it had come to that. You’re good with those blades.” She gestured to the daggers in my hands. “I take it those are the ones you’ve chosen?”