Eternal Palace (Sexcraft Chronicles Book 4)

by Edmund Hughes

  CHAPTER 33

  Hal was holding a body against his. A soft, naked body. And he was slowly moving, grinding into whoever it was, fully erect and overflowing with sleepy, fogged arousal.

  “Halrin,” whispered Laurel. “We talked about this.”

  He was already pulling his trousers down, letting his cock pull free. He pressed it against Laurel’s naked butt, searching for the right angle. She let out a gasp and set her hand on his leg.

  “You can’t…” she said, her voice a touch less confident than it had been. “Don’t put it in.”

  Hal kissed her neck, one of his hands reaching around to grope Laurel’s naked breasts. She shivered against him, her back arching slightly. He slid his shaft forward, abiding by her will, only pressing the tip of it against her opening.

  She was warm. Hal could feel each breath she took, slow and shaky with early morning arousal. He kissed her neck again, pushing a little, but forcing himself to wait there, right on the precipice.

  Why would she sleep naked if she didn’t want this to happen?

  “You can’t have sex with me, Hal,” whispered Laurel. “But maybe…”

  The tent flap opened. Zoria let out a surprised gasp, and then burst out into laughter.

  “Well,” she said, through her chuckling. “And I wondered why the two of you were sleeping in so late.”

  Laurel leapt to her feet, or at least as close as she could get, with the tent’s canopy as low as it was.

  “We weren’t!” she said. “It’s not what you’re thinking. Halrin and I are not like that with one another.”

  Hal didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure Laurel would have been able to stick to that line of thinking if even a minute more had passed before Zoria’s intrusion. He groaned and set about pulling his clothes back on, not looking at Laurel as she did the same.

  “Wait…” said Hal. “It’s morning? I never took my shift at the watch.”

  “Cadrian took yours for you,” said Zoria. “She said you needed sleep the most, out of all of us.”

  Hal frowned at that. He didn’t like being given special treatment, and the fact that Cadrian had been the one who’d done him the favor only made it worse. He sighed and forced himself not to grumble too much as he made his way out of the tent.

  The sky was overcast, and the amount of wind sweeping through the camp suggested that rain was on the way. The fire had been rekindled, and what was left of the previous night’s dinner was warming in the pot over it.

  “There isn’t much left,” said Cadrian. “We’ll have to forage on the way if we’re still hungry.”

  “It’s going to take a lot of foraging to feed all of us,” said Hal.

  “It’s the only choice we have,” said Cadrian. “Tarne is still a day or two out, and that’s if we make good time.”

  The soup had taken a mushy quality, but if anything, it made it taste better. There was only enough for Hal to have a bite or two, and he set the ladle down almost feeling hungrier than he had to begin with.

  Laurel was red-faced as she emerged from the tent. Hal could feel the tension almost like a physical thing as she passed by him. She bent over to take the ladle from the pot, and he stared at her butt, wanting nothing more than to push himself against her and finish what they’d started.

  This is going to be a very long journey.

  The sound of wings flapping overhead set all of them on edge. Hal had his pistol and short sword drawn, and only relaxed when he saw the size of the descending dragon and recognized it as Karnas as he landed next to their campsite.

  “Watching…” said Karnas.

  “Good,” said Hal. “Thank you. We’re a little hungry, but we’re okay.”

  “Still… hurts,” said Karnas.

  Hal set a hand on the dragon, petting his neck as he took a closer look at the wound on his wing. It wasn’t festering, but it was still raw, and deep enough that Hal doubted it would be safe to put a rider on his back. They’d have to continue the journey on foot until it was fully healed, and even then, Hal doubted Karnas would be able to carry all four of them.

  It would take just as long if he was ferrying us north, one by one.

  “Get as much rest as you can,” said Hal. “And eat as much food as you can find. All we need you to do is fly overhead, every now and then, and keep your eyes peeled for anyone coming after us. Okay?”

  “Okay…” said Karnas. Laurel came over and gave him a hug, whispering some words of encouragement that Hal couldn’t make out. Then, the dragon took to the air again, disappearing into the cloudy sky.

  “We should strike down the camp and get moving,” said Laurel. “Does anyone have any suggestions about what sort of route we should take?”

  “North,” said Hal. “Whichever route is the shortest.”

  “That’s asking for trouble,” said Cadrian. “Look at how cloudy it is. It might be too difficult for us to judge where the sun is, and what direction we’re headed in once we get deep into the Jade Forest.”

  “Do you have a better idea?” he countered.

  “We follow the coast of Lake Krestia,” said Cadrian. “This gives us the added advantage of being able to forage on the beach, and possibly even catch fish for dinner.”

  Zoria and Laurel both nodded, and Hal didn’t object. He helped collapse the tent with Zoria and Cadrian, while Laurel took the cooking pot to the stream to wash it clean for the next night’s use. The tent fit into a small, but heavy bundle, and Hal strapped it over his shoulder.

  They set off north through the forest, traveling in single file, with Cadrian up front and Hal in back. It was only an hour before they encountered their first obstacle, the Driftwood River. Hal had crossed over it twice the previous day, once with Cadrian, across the main bridge, and then riding Karnas on his return to Meldence. Now, neither option was available to them, the bridge too obvious of a place for an elven ambush, and Karnas out of commission.

  It was a river befitting the size of the lake it flowed out of. Easily a hundred or more feet wide, the water was deep, swift, and dangerous. Hal frowned as he stared across at the other bank, glancing over to see if the others were having any insights.

  “We could try swimming,” said Zoria.

  “We might have to,” said Hal.

  “No,” said Cadrian. “The river flows far faster than you’d assume. And there are hidden rocks. We’d end up separated, or perhaps drowned, if we tried it.”

  “Cadrian is right,” said Laurel. “We need to find another way.”

  They spread out, looking up and down a length of a half mile or so for anything that might help. Hal didn’t find anything other than a few fallen logs, a couple of fish rotting on a river bank, and a few easily scared deer. He was the last one to make it back to their meeting point and found that the others were already working on a solution.

  A balding man had anchored his fishing boat in the middle of the river, and Cadrian was having a shouted conversation with him.

  “I don’t ferry passengers,” said the man. “Fishing is my trade.”

  “We’ll pay you,” called Cadrian.

  “Take too much time,” said the man. “Would have to charge… well, about five gold each.”

  Hal frowned. It was a ridiculous sum to ask for, and he could tell the fisherman had only suggested it due to how desperate they must have looked.

  “Perhaps we could work something else out?” asked Cadrian. She shifted her arms underneath her breasts, letting her robe open slightly to reveal more than a hint of her generous cleavage.

  The fisherman’s face turned beet red. “…Go on,” he said.

  “We were planning on resting here for a bit,” said Cadrian, her voice sensual and suggestive. “I, for one, need to wash up. I was planning on heading downriver a bit for some privacy. Perhaps you could walk with me? Watch my clothes while I take a rinse?”

  The fisherman looked to be at a loss for words. Hal wasn’t sure he would have known what to say, either. Or rat
her, how to refuse a woman like Cadrian, when she was pouring on the charm. It made him feel odd to hear her propositioning another man, and it annoyed him that he even cared, after everything he’d learned about who she really was.

  “It would… take more than just a look under your robe for me to be convinced,” said the fisherman.

  “Oh, trust me,” said Cadrian. “I would offer you whatever you need.”

  The fisherman began pushing his skiff over to their side of the river, using a long pole to push off rocks and the river bottom. He hopped ashore after quickly securing his vessel to a tree, only then seeming to notice Hal.

  “It’s okay,” said Cadrian. “We’ll head down this way, away from the others.”

  The fisherman’s frown deepened. “And leave my boat here, unguarded? This is a trick, isn’t it?”

  Cadrian walked over to him. She let her robe slide further open. Hal couldn’t see exactly what was happening, from the angle he stood at, but he was relatively sure she’d just pulled the man’s hands onto her naked breasts.

  “They wouldn’t leave without me,” she said, in a soothing voice. “Now. I’m going to wash up. Would you care to join me?”

  The fisherman nodded dumbly. Cadrian led him down along the river bank, pulling gently at his hand. Hal waited until they’d disappeared into the trees, and then shot a look at Zoria and Laurel.

  “You don’t think she’s really going to…” He trailed off.

  “Why does it matter?” asked Zoria. “It’s smart, on her part, if she’s willing to use her body like that.”

  “I don’t really want to think about it,” said Laurel.

  Ten minutes passed by before Cadrian returned, the fisherman nowhere in sight.

  “I stole his clothes,” said Cadrian. “Scattered them through the woods, and then tied him to a tree. Not so tight that he won’t be able to escape, but it will take him a while.”

  “And we’re just going to steal his boat?” asked Laurel. She was already shaking her head.

  “We’re only borrowing it,” said Cadrian. “I let him know that I’d leave it secured on the other side of the river. Nobody is looking for him, and he’ll be able to safely cross the bridge and make his way around to it before anyone else finds it.”

  “You could have just honored your end of the deal,” said Zoria. “I doubt it would have taken more than a few minutes to please a man like him.”

  Cadrian had a small, amused smile on her face. She straightened her black braid and gestured toward the boat.

  CHAPTER 34

  The boat could only hold two people comfortably, so Hal served as the ferryman and made trips back and forth to get them to the river’s far bank. He used the fisherman’s pole to carefully push himself and Laurel across, first. It was a learning experience, with the current of the river making it hard for them to move in the direction they needed to go. The boat was also easy to unbalance, and they almost tipped far enough over to take on water midway through.

  Zoria and Cadrian were brought across next, and he had an easier time with them. Cadrian secured the boat to a fallen tree, and then the party was moving again, traveling north and slightly west, toward the coast of Lake Krestia.

  The wind began to pick up as the coast of the lake came into view. Hal could sense the impending storm as the air took on a hot, humid quality. They traveled for another half hour before coming to a stop in a small, open patch amidst the tall trees.

  “We need to stop for today,” said Laurel. “We won’t be able to keep traveling once it starts raining. And this might be our last chance to set up camp and forage before the storm.”

  “Agreed,” said Hal.

  “I borrowed a fishing net from the boat,” said Cadrian. “Why don’t I see if I can make use of it in the lake?”

  “Good idea,” said Laurel.

  “I’ll go get some firewood,” said Hal. “We’ll need to get what we can before the rain dampens it.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Zoria stepped in a little closer to him, flashing a suggestive smile that only he could see.

  “I’ll go too,” said Laurel.

  There was an awkward pause after her suggestion, with Hal glancing away, avoiding Laurel’s eyes. Cadrian had already left to head down to the lake, and it made the brief silence in the conversation all the more noticeable.

  “What is it?” asked Laurel.

  “We need you here at the camp,” said Hal. “Setting things up.”

  “The tent is all we have to set up, and that’s going to take more than one person to do in a reasonable amount of time,” said Laurel. “It’s like you said. We need to get firewood fast, before the storm.”

  Hal cringed. He looked over at Zoria, who seemed unperturbed by Laurel’s suggestion that she tag along. He sighed.

  “Look, Laurel,” he said. “There’s something you should know…”

  He hesitated, trying to think of how to best phrase it.

  It shouldn’t matter how I phrase it. She’s been making it very clear that there is nothing between us, and that there can’t be anymore.

  “We were intimate yesterday, in the woods,” said Zoria, speaking before he could.

  “You were… intimate?” said Laurel.

  “I took care of his needs,” said Zoria. “Both of a carnal nature, and his need to replenish his magic. It’s something that will be continuing throughout the journey, for obvious reasons.”

  There was a self-satisfied tone to Zoria’s voice that made the bluntness of her explanation even worse. Hal ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to say.

  “Laurel, please,” he said. “Just… let me explain.”

  “Ridiculous.” Laurel folded her arms and glared at him. “You’re not going to go prancing off into the woods to have sex behind my back. I’m going with you, and we’re going to collect firewood.”

  “Zoria has a point,” said Hal. “I need to keep my heartgem filled with ruby essence. For the sake of our safety, if nothing else.”

  Laurel shook her hand. “You misunderstand me. We’re gathering firewood, right now. Later on tonight, before or after dinner, I don’t really care when, you and Zoria can have your time inside the tent.”

  She spoke in a matter of fact voice, but the intensity her stare held as she met Hal’s eyes made it clear that the compromise was costing her something. Again, Hal wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to hug her, but knew she wouldn’t let him.

  “Okay,” he said. “Come on. Let’s get moving, then.”

  The three of them spread out, staying within earshot of each other, but picking different sections to gather in. Hal kept turning Laurel’s words over in his head, wondering why it made him feel so weird to hear her speaking so casually of him bedding Zoria.

  “You look conflicted, master.” Zoria made her way over to him. She let her breasts push against his shoulder as she pulled him into a hug.

  “I feel conflicted,” he said.

  “You shouldn’t,” she said. “Sometimes it’s better take things as they come to you.”

  She shifted against him, and then took his hand and pulled it to her breast. It was soft, and felt wonderful under his palm. Hal kissed her, and she melded herself against him, their bodies connecting in a way that made him feel like their time in the tent couldn’t come soon enough.

  Laurel cleared her throat from where she was gathering firewood, almost out of sight. It was exaggerated, as it had to be, for them to hear it, and they took her meaning well enough. Zoria made eyes with Hal as she slowly returned to the pile of wood she’d been building.

  With all three of them working at it, they finished in short order. Hal set up some of the wood in the center of the camp to start the fire with, while leaving the rest off to the side to feed it later on.

  Laurel and Zoria set about pitching the tent, while Hal used his ruby to get the campfire going. Between the clouds overhead and the shadows of the trees, the afternoon was far darker than it should have been, and th
e heat and light was a welcome addition.

  Cadrian arrived back carrying three silver fish, each easily as long as her forearm and fat around the middle. She had a serious look on her face as she found a rock to start cleaning them on.

  “We’ll eat well tonight,” said Cadrian. “No question about that.”

  Hal nodded, but still found it a little hard to compliment her for the catch.

  It’s the same conflict I’ve had with Cadrian for days, even when it comes to something this small.

  Laurel headed over, sitting down next to Hal around the fire. She hesitated, and seemed to take a second to compose herself before speaking.

  “She’s waiting for you,” said Laurel. “In the tent.”

  “Zoria?” asked Hal.

  Laurel gave a single, small nod. She was blushing, and her embarrassment was a little infectious.

  “Now would be a good time for you two to… take care of things,” whispered Laurel.

  “Yeah,” said Hal. “Right.”

  Despite the strangeness of having a sanctioned sex encounter in the middle of the day, Hal was already excited by the time he reached the tent. Zoria was waiting for him, as Laurel had said.

  She was sitting on the pallet, completely naked. Her legs were crossed, and she was leaned back on her arms, pushing her chest up as though she wanted him to stare at her breasts first, and then the rest of her. The tent was slightly too dim for him to make out her facial expression, but he could tell that she was smiling.

  “Master,” purred Zoria.

  “Zoria,” said Hal. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

  “No longer than you have.”

  Hal slid in beside her, still clothed. He kind of wanted to take his time with the encounter. There was something intoxicating about knowing that Laurel and Cadrian were waiting just outside, Laurel fully aware of what was going on, and Cadrian smart enough to figure things out.