Body Temperature and Rising - Book One of the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy

by K D Grace

  ‘Well?’ Tara demanded.

  He looked up at the women and felt his heart surge with pride. ‘She cast him out.’

  ‘What?’ Fiori grabbed his arm in such a bruising grip that for the moment he wished either one or the other of them weren’t flesh and bone. ‘How can that be? No one’s taught her.’

  ‘Nevertheless, that is what she has done. I arrived at the very instant when her rage was brighter than anything I have ever witnessed. I do not know what he did to kindle such a rage in her, but she was formidable, nay, she was terrifying.’ His lips curled in a smile as he remembered her naked and wet from the shower, at the moment when one should be afforded the least dignity, and yet she was like a goddess blazing in her fury. He remembered the three witches standing around him. ‘I left when I was certain she was all right. And I am equally certain he will not attack her again tonight.’

  ‘So they’re safe for the moment then,’ Sky said.

  ‘It is a small reprieve, yes,’ Anderson answered.

  ‘But? What is it,’ Tara reached out and stroked his arm. ‘What’s troubling you, Anderson, you never were very good at subterfuge, at least not with me.’

  He held her gaze. ‘I fear that this time there was physical injury to her person.’

  ‘Fuck.’ Fiori cursed out loud, something she rarely did. She chafed her arms and her face lost its colour. ‘What did he do to her?’

  ‘Only a bit of bruising,’ Anderson said, feeling it more politic not to say where those bruises were. ‘But that he can now cause physical damage must be a warning that our situation has most definitely worsened.’

  All three witches nodded their agreement. Sky heaved a sigh. ‘Well at least they’re safe for the night.’

  ‘Not quite, though I don’t perceive any real threat coming in the form of one Serina Ravenmoor,’ Anderson said.

  ‘What does that woman have to do with any of this?’ Tara asked.

  Anderson felt himself heartily blushing. Serina Ravenmoor had worked for Tara at the herbal shop. He didn’t know the details. He only knew that powerful herbs were taken from the shop without authorisation resulting in the near hospitalisation of one of the woman’s so-called clients. Needless to say, Tara did not hold Serina Ravenmoor in high esteem.

  ‘She is where their research has led them, I fear.’

  ‘Oh for fuck sake,’ Tara cursed. ‘How can such a powerful couple behave so stupidly? The woman’s a quack, completely barmy. Plus she’s dangerous.’

  ‘I think our Marie would agree with you, but as you have often said of those of my sex, it is not always our brain that dictates the choices we make.’

  ‘Rubbish,’ Fiori said. ‘Tim Meriwether is one of the most level-headed men I’ve ever known.’

  Anderson shrugged his deference. ‘In truth, I think it is more likely that even for him it is an act of desperation. But of our lovely Marie, I am not mistaken in that she called out for me in her time of need. I do believe she will swiftly be returning to us.’ That she had called out for him, that she had wanted him made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a very long time, but that much he would keep to himself, as he was not, as Tara would call it, a navel gazer.

  Tara cursed again, this time under her breath. ‘Now, if we can just keep Ravenmoor from poking someone’s eye out with a lit candle or poisoning them.’

  Anderson struggled to curtail his smile. ‘Forgive my eavesdropping, but I did feel it necessary at such a time, I think her plans are for Tim Meriwether and his athame, unless I am mistaken.’

  Sky snickered behind her fingers, then bit her lip to keep from laughing.

  ‘I can understand why she might want the use of his athame,’ Fiori said.

  Tara sighed. ‘In the meantime, we wait. Anderson don’t leave their side. Stay hidden if at all possible, but if they need you, then do whatever you have to.’

  Anderson found this command from his high priestess to be no hardship.

  They met Serina Ravenmoor at the car park on the flank of Raven Crag. She was dressed in an ornate black gown with a tightly cinched bodice barely concealing her nipples. She was heavily made-up, and her wild red hair had been sprayed so that it sparkled in the moonlight. Only the lightweight walking boots she wore were even remotely practical. She pressed a tight hug against Tim and kissed him on the mouth, then she glared over at Marie. ‘I thought I told you not to bring her. Her lack of belief is disturbing to me.’

  ‘And I told you I’m not leaving her.’ Tim’s voice was infinitely patient.

  ‘What?’ Marie shoved her hands against her hips. ‘You don’t want me here? She doesn’t want me here? Why didn’t you tell me she didn’t want me here?’

  ‘Because I wasn’t going to leave you, that’s why.’ His focus was still on Serina. ‘Now, we can do this with her here, or I can leave now and take my two hundred quid with me.’

  ‘Two hundred quid? She’s charging you two hundred quid to fuck you. Hell, I would have done it for free.’

  ‘Shut up, Marie.’ Tim’s voice was still the epitome of patience. ‘We’ll talk about this when we get home. Now, Ms Ravenmoor, Serina, she doesn’t have to be involved in the ritual …’ He raised his hand before Marie could protest further. ‘… She just has to be in my sight at all times. Is that acceptable?’

  The woman huffed out a displeased breath. ‘I don’t see that I have any choice, then do I? But I can’t guarantee results with her here.’

  Marie raised both hands and backed away. ‘Hey, lady, if you can guarantee results, I’ll happily take the Land Rover back to the house, have a bit of a snooze and come back later when you’re done with him.’

  ‘Marie.’ There was a slight edge of warning in Tim’s voice this time.

  ‘Of course I can’t make guarantees.’

  ‘I didn’t think so.’

  ‘Marie, could you just please give it a rest.’

  ‘I’ve had a bad night, Tim. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t much like being invited to a party and then being told I can’t dance.’

  ‘I didn’t invite you to this party,’ the witch retorted.

  ‘Shut up, both of you.’ Tim raised his voice this time, but only enough to make the warning in it very noticeable. ‘Now, I’m sorry about this, Marie. I know it won’t be much fun for you, but if you’ll just cooperate, we can get on with it and be home in time for breakfast.’

  Suddenly Marie remembered Anderson standing there behind Tim, and reminded herself that tomorrow she would go to him, tomorrow she would get some answers, and tomorrow maybe it would be her getting laid rather than being the spectator. ‘Sorry.’ She tried to force a smile. ‘Just do what you have to do.’

  They followed the witch up a winding path into the woods and for a while the woodland was too thick for the moonlight to penetrate. They stumbled in darkness until Tim pulled out a torch. The witch already had one. He settled back to walk next to Marie. He tried to take her arm, but she pulled away. ‘You can’t believe I’m doing this because I want to, Marie.’ He spoke between barely parted lips.

  ‘It’s none of my business who you fuck.’

  ‘Jesus! Do you think that’s what this is all about? Do you think I’d even be considering this if we had other options?’

  ‘That doesn’t make this any less stupid nor her any less a quack.’ She raised both her hands realising to her dismay that she was doing it again. ‘I’m sorry. I promised I wouldn’t do this. I promised. Of course you’re right. Our options are thin on the ground at best.’ She was sure he would like her plan to go back to the Elementals even less than she liked his, but hers made a lot more sense.

  This time she didn’t pull away when he took her arm. He spoke very close to her ear. ‘Are you jealous? Because there’s no need for you to be, though I’d be kind of flattered if you were.’

  Before there was time for anything more than Marie’s heart to do a little quiver, they found themselves in a clearing, and Serina turned to them. ‘This is where the rit
ual will be. ‘Tim and I will be there.’ She took his arm, and pointed to a grassy spot open to the moonlight. ‘I don’t care where you are as long as you remain outside the circle, is that clear.’

  ‘Crystal.’

  ‘Right then. Shall we get on with it? First, I need the money.’

  Marie bit her tongue to keep from making a comment as Tim handed Serina cash and she stuck it into a small bag that hung around her neck. That done, she smiled up at him. ‘Whenever you’re ready then.’ She turned and headed into the clearing.

  Tim walked hand in hand with Marie to the edge, then he folded her in his arms. ‘I’m really sorry about this, but if it helps, it’ll be worth it.’

  ‘Then don’t be sorry. Desperate times call for desperate measures.’

  He surprised her by taking her mouth in a hungry kiss, deep enough to make her knees weak as he lowered her to sit on the ground just outside the circle. ‘We have unfinished business. Remember? He brushed his fingertips along her cheek, settled another light kiss on her lips then followed Serina into the circle.

  It was a testament to just how tired she was. And really, she hadn’t had a decent night’s rest since after the walk on Maiden Moor. When she had the chance to be a voyeur and have a little wank on the side, she promptly fell asleep, dreaming that Anderson and Tim, together were doing their best to make her feel really good, and that involved a little guy on guy fun as well. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but just when the dream was getting really good, Tim shook her awake. ‘Come on Marie,’ he said breathlessly in her ear. ‘We’re leaving.’

  ‘What? What happened?’ she asked, scrabbling to her feet. She could just make out the back side of Serina Ravenmoor moving down the path out of the clearing at breakneck speed.

  ‘Nothing happened,’ he said, pulling her to her feet. ‘Just like you said. Nothing happened.’ The tight pinch in his voice told her something was wrong.

  ‘Tim, what’s the matter? What? Was it Deacon?’

  ‘No. It wasn’t Deacon. Would you mind just being quiet for a little while, OK, just don’t talk to me.’ This time the warning in his voice was not even slightly veiled.

  They made it to the car park just in time to see Serina Ravenmoor’s car screech out onto the road.

  ‘She’s upset,’ Marie commented, trying to keep her voice calm.

  ‘That’s right. She’s upset.’

  She waited for it.

  He helped her into the Land Rover, then slammed the door behind her and got into the driver’s seat. ‘She’s fucking upset because I wouldn’t give her two hundred quid more for a bunch of lame-arsed herbs and crystals and potions.’

  ‘Jesus!’ Marie braced herself as he did his own version of screeching out of the car park.

  For the next few miles, he said nothing else. And when the silence became thicker than lamb stew, she spoke, ‘Are you going to tell me what happened?’

  ‘I already told you. Nothing happened. She was a quack just like you said. I would have thought you would have at least stayed awake to gloat.’

  She bit back the retort at the end of her tongue because clearly something was bothering him.

  But he kept talking. ‘It was as good for you as it was for me then, so good that you fell asleep.’

  ‘Sorry. I didn’t plan to. I just haven’t slept in a while, and since I wasn’t participating, well, nature took its course.’

  ‘Yep, nature took its course. I could have used some support.’

  She felt herself bristle. ‘What? Did you want me to stand on the side lines and be your cheerleader while you porked woo-woo girl? Fuck her again, fuck her again, harder, harder.’

  ‘Shut up, Marie.’

  This time she more than bristled. ‘If you tell me to shut up one more time, I promise it’ll be painful for you.’

  ‘Goddamn it, Marie!’ He slammed his open palm against the steering wheel, hard. ‘I didn’t fuck her, OK? Now can we just drop it, please.’

  The rest of the trip passed in prickly silence. By the time they drove up in front of Lacewing Cottage, dawn was breaking. It was pouring with rain, and the fells had all disappeared into the mist. He pulled to a stop in front of her cottage and followed her up the steps. When she turned questioning eyes, he said, ‘I’m not leaving you alone.’

  Not figuring it was a great time for the “I can take care of myself” argument and not real keen on being alone either, she opened the door and motioned him in behind her. Inside, he kicked off his shoes, shucked his jacket on the peg by the door and moved toward the couch. ‘We both need some sleep,’ he said, settling in. ‘If you could just find me a pillow and an extra blanket, that would be great.’

  She brought a pillow and an ageing quilt and handed them to him. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said softly.

  ‘So am I,’ he replied, avoiding her gaze. ‘Now get some sleep. I know you’re exhausted.’

  ‘It wasn’t my fault,’ Serina sobbed against Deacon’s broad chest. ‘It must have been him. It had to have been him.’

  ‘Oh come now, my dear Serina.’ Still breathing heavily, Deacon rolled off of her, and she felt suddenly deeply empty as he pushed away from her. ‘I can promise you Mr Meriwether has never had any problems getting his cock stiff, nor is he lacking skill when it comes to using it.’ He glanced down at his own heavy cock still wet from the merciless pounding he’d given her, then he began to stroke himself absently, the very act of which made her ache for him all the more.

  ‘I have to say, my darling, I must call into question your abilities as a practitioner of sex magic if you cannot make one man of above average virility stiff.’

  Serina couldn’t help but notice that Deacon stroked the upward curve of his erection in much the same way he stroked the leather of his bullwhip before he unfurled it. She shuddered at the thought, and yet in spite of it, she slid a hand down in an effort to ease the fire in her pussy, but he slapped her hand away. ‘I don’t think your slut hole has earned relief tonight, loveliness.’

  She cried out and writhed against the mattress. ‘I’m telling you there was something else going on, some other form of magic, powerful magic. I felt it. I tried to warn him about it, but he wouldn’t listen.’

  ‘Liar!’ The sudden raise of his voice made her jump and cringe. ‘You tried to sell him your hocus pocus rubbish, didn’t you? Didn’t you?’

  She blinked back tears and nodded. ‘I didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’

  His face softened. ‘Of course you are, my darling.’ He pulled her close to him, his strong arms settling her on top of him, but he held her so no amount of wriggling would allow her to impale herself back on his desperately-needed cock. He caressed her cheeks and breasts. Everywhere his hand touched felt like he had ignited lust until every pore of her body trembled with need. ‘Perhaps I demanded too much of you too soon. Perhaps you’re just not as ready as I thought you were, my lovely. Perhaps it was foolish of me to send you, so untried as you are, to do such an important task. But I must confess, I really thought you were ready.’

  ‘Please, darling,’ she let the tears slide down her cheeks. ‘I am ready. I really am. You must believe me, there were powers at work, other powers. Maybe that horrible American he was with, maybe she was doing something behind my back, maybe she had done something to him before they arrived. I asked him not to bring her, demanded it even, just like you said.’

  He held her in a disappointed gaze. ‘My dear Serina, Marie Warren did nothing to Mr Meriwether before his arrival at Raven Crag, I promise you. And as for her time at the site, well she slept through your debacle. Since you could not keep her away, I made sure of that myself. I assure you she had nothing to do with Tim’s unfortunate lack of interest in you. Oh come, come, my dearest. Don’t fret so.’ He pinched her nipples until she winced in pain that somehow still felt like enflamed desire. ‘I suppose it is possible that there was other magic at work, just as you say. After all, you are a powerful witch. You would
certainly know these things, wouldn’t you?’ He pinched again and moved so his cock rubbed agonizingly at the edge of her raw pout.

  Suddenly she was aware of how hard she was trembling. How many times had he made her come? It had to be magic that had allowed her to drive the car and arrive home safely. He was on her before she cleared the woodland. She couldn’t see him, but dear Goddess, her body felt him like a fast moving fever threatening to burn her up. At least he had waited until she was out of sight of Tim Meriwether and his woman, at least he’d spared her that humiliation. Beyond that, he had left her little pride, and as mindless with lust as she was, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if she died in the throes of the ecstasy he could offer. She could only take what he gave her and whimper for more as her desire built rather than dissipated. It was only as he dragged her from the car and pushed her down on the bed in her flat that she fully realised the extent of his rage. He never unfurled the bullwhip. He didn’t need to. He offered a far more exquisite punishment.

  She bit back a sob. ‘It wouldn’t have taken much power to realise there was strong magic on him.’

  ‘Of course not, my darling, of course not.’ He held her so her aching gape was pressed up tight and begging against the blunt head of his cock. ‘And we shall get to the bottom of that powerful magic together. Now that I have seen more clearly the situation, there is yet a better way that you may serve me, but first, my sweetheart, let me ease the rage of your need.’

  With that he pushed into her so hard and so deep that it took her breath, and yet she sobbed with relief as he began to jack hammer with bone breaking force. Whatever it took. She could endure little more without some real relief.

  Chapter 11

  The afternoon shadows were lengthening across her bedroom floor when Marie finally woke up. For a second she wasn’t sure where she was, for a second there was a lingering tingle low in her belly and she thought of Anderson, but then he’d said she would feel that tingle when any spirit was close. She shivered remembering the events of the past 24 hours, then groaned. ‘It just gets more insane all the time,’ she spoke into the silence.