The Academy Volume One

by Maxine Mansfield

  Adan chuckled, but his relaxed pace didn’t change. “I’ve already told you where I’m taking you is a surprise. It won’t be a surprise if you can see the destination. Now will it? Be patient, Lizard. We’re almost there. As far as the blanket, it’s simply to sit upon, and as I told you, I’ll bring you back before the last grain of sand has a chance to fall if, at that time, you still wish it.”

  She heard the soft hum of the portal stone a split second before its vibrations strummed beneath her feet. Lizbeth caught herself hesitating to move forward. It wasn’t as if she minded traveling in this manner. After all, it was a common practice, and portal stones made transversing great distances in a very short period of time not only possible, but also quite efficient. What she did mind, however, was stepping through an abyss blindfolded, without any idea of where she’d be when she reached the other side.

  Three simple words, “Lizbeth, trust me,” whispered against the very edge of her ear calmed her fears enough to allow tiny quivers of pleasure to shoot down her spine and get her feet moving forward once again.

  As they exited the portal and the thin scrap of material Adan had used to fashion the blindfold slipped away, Lizbeth gasped in amazement. Before her stretched a sandy beach the color of warm cream surrounded on three sides by towering craggy cliffs. Blue cloudless skies kissed the watery horizon, as churning froth playfully danced to and fro along the beach’s edge.

  The sun filtered down warmth upon her skin as at the same time gentle ocean breezes fought to cool her. The smell of salt and sea saturated her nostrils, and the sound of birds in flight and waves crashing close by upon rocks filled her ears.

  Spinning around, trying to take it all in, excitement and the need to be heard above the song of nature raised her voice a few octaves and filled it with awe. “Are we really where I think we are? Is this the ocean?”

  Adan grinned and nodded. “Yes, Lizard, this is the Great Ocean of Albrath. I was hoping you’d enjoy this outing. It’s one of my favorite places in all the world. I come here often when I need to think or simply wish to be alone. It’s the complete opposite of my kingdom. Here, there’s no ice or snow or cold blustery winds.”

  He gazed intently into her eyes, and it made Lizbeth nervous.

  “Surely you’ve been here before, haven’t you, Lizbeth? I mean, everyone’s been to the Great Ocean at least once in their lifetime, right? Every main portal is linked to some section of it.”

  Heat that had nothing to do with the sun worked its way up her neck until Lizbeth’s cheeks burned to the point she was forced to fight the urge to fan herself. How was she to explain her life to this man without giving him the wrong impression?

  “I haven’t been anywhere except the forest I grew up in, your kingdom of Alaria when we wed, and now the Academy. Oh, and the one day trip to that town on my eighteenth birthday to see you in the arena. Though, I didn’t actually get to see you then.”

  Her voice trailed off, and Lizbeth shuffled her feet. She kept her eyes down and took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m sure I could’ve come here if I’d asked. I guess I just never thought to. I always had classes to attend and chores to see to. I didn’t wish to be more of a burden to my family than I already was.”

  Once more, she looked up at Adan, willing him to understand. “My brothers are good men and they were very kind to me after my parents died, really they were, but they’re always busy. It’s just…they’re so much older than I and have their own children and wives and crops and worries and duties to deal with. Don’t think they didn’t care for me, though, for they did. They always saw to my basic needs. I never lacked for food or shelter, truly I didn’t. And I had lots of instructors and servants to talk to. Most of the time, anyway.”

  Lizbeth shook her head and rubbed her hands together. “Oh, never mind, I’m making a horrible mess of this. No, I’ve never been to the Great Ocean or the other two lesser oceans as far as that’s concerned. Field trips weren’t part of my curriculum.”

  Adan stopped her speech with a single finger held lightly against her lips. “I wasn’t trying to judge. I was simply curious.”

  He dropped his hand, and the warmth of his fingers intertwining with hers did more to calm Lizbeth’s nerves then any words could have. Adan led her along a well-worn path between the boulders below the cliffs, and she followed.

  Rounding a corner, Lizbeth once more stopped and gaped in awe. There, nestled in a small, secluded cove, was paradise. Two weather-worn palm trees swayed lazily in the breeze while waves crashed on the nearby rocks. The large yellow sun dipped a little farther down toward the surface of the water, and in the distance, lemon-feathered birds soared effortlessly through the afternoon sky.

  “It’s beautiful, Adan.”

  He squeezed her hand, and tiny ripples of excitement scampered up her arm. “Take off your tunic and slippers, Lizbeth, feel the sand and surf upon your body and between your toes. Last one to the other side of the cove grants the other a wish. Deal?”

  Lizbeth laughed. “Deal.”

  She did as he asked and pulled off her tunic and kicked off her shoes, leaving them without a second thought lying in the sand. With a freedom she hadn’t known since she’d been a child, Lizbeth ran.

  Though Adan won the first round, back and forth they scurried the edge of the water, laughing as they went and stopping frequently to pick up and examine a shell, play in the surf, or romp in the sand until exhaustion forced them to seek rest beneath the trees.

  The wool blanket Adan laid out was still warm from the sun and Lizbeth gratefully collapsed onto it giggling as she stared at the man who had brought her to this magical place. “I’m pretty sure we’ve been here more than a single turn of the hourglass, Adan.”

  He nodded but didn’t come anywhere near having the grace to look guilty as he placed a hand over his heart and responded, “Aye, Lizard, you’re correct. But I’m having so much fun I must admit I don’t want it to end. Forgive me?”

  A gleam lit Adan’s eyes. “Oh, I won the first race, remember? And you lost. You owe me a wish before we head back to the Academy.”

  Lizbeth gazed into the handsome face of her husband, and even to her own ears, her voice sounded breathy. “Your wish is my command, my lord.”

  Adan leaned and caressed her lips with his own so gently she was left wondering if they’d even touched at all. Yet at the same time, shivers of excitement shot through her, telling her in no uncertain terms, they had. When a moment later he whispered against her lips, those same shivers exploded with heat.

  “I wish only for the opportunity to know you, Lizbeth, all of you, in every way imaginable. Grant me a lesson.”

  She sighed against his warmth and inhaled the intoxicating mixture of man and sea air. “What do you wish to learn?”

  Adan chuckled as he kissed first her forehead, then her cheek, a spot behind her ear, and the curve of her neck, before burying his face between her breasts. He lifted his head and met her gaze. “The tastes and textures of every inch of your body.”

  “Oh!”

  That was the only word Lizbeth uttered before Adan drove away her ability to think, let alone speak, and replaced them with ecstasy.

  His lips captured hers, but this kiss was different from any he’d given her before. Gone was the gentle plying she’d come to expect. Gone was his slow, teasing pressure as he deepened his possession. Gone was any hint of softness.

  No, this kiss was barbarian through and through, raw and lust-filled, hard and fast, punishing, yet imparting such sweet, hot pleasure it brought tears to her eyes. It was pure breathtaking, life-giving, soul-shattering need. She answered his need with her own, and the world ceased to exist.

  The kiss might have lasted the space of a minute or an entire turn of the hourglass, she didn’t know and didn’t care. All that mattered was Adan made her feel things she’d never felt before.

  Not even in her sex and sensibility classes had she experienced this level of emotion. She wante
d to laugh and cry at the same time, and she had the desire to submit to him completely one second, while the overwhelming urge to be the one to dominate the next.

  He slid a little ways down her body and captured a pert nipple between his teeth and tugged. Shockwaves of pleasure rippled from her core outward. She leaned up, nipped the very tip of his chin, hard, and growled.

  Adan laughed. “Quite the little barbarian yourself, I see. I like that in my women.” His eyes were smoky and heavy laden, full of passion and possession. “But can you keep it up, or will I have you begging for mercy before we’re through?”

  Lizbeth laughed, but it was no girlish giggle. It was deep, full, and raw. “I can give as good as I get. As a matter of fact, I can give even better. I’ll not only keep up with you, but it’ll be you who loses control first.”

  Adan’s eyes widened. “Another challenge, Lizard? You do remember who’s won the last two?”

  She stared her barbarian husband in the eye, nipped his chin once more, then slowly kissed it all better. “Not only will you beg me for more, but you’ll orgasm before I do. I’m the one who’s had all those boring Adan Hammerstrike classes, remember? I know exactly what makes your eyes cross and your cock gush. By the way, I passed that class with an A plus.”

  Adan suckled a nipple, and Lizbeth couldn’t hide her quick intake of air. His eyes twinkled with the knowledge she wasn’t the least bit immune to his touch, and he taunted her with his words. “So, Lizard, what does the winner get when he makes you come first?”

  Lizbeth shook her head. “Let’s not worry about the winner. She will be quite content with the fact she bested her barbarian husband. How about, the loser has to walk back through the Academy portal and all the way to his room butt-naked. Deal?”

  Adan chuckled. “Oh, you are so on. Deal.”

  There was no more time for words as Adan slid all the way down Lizbeth’s body and spread her thighs. He was a breath away from capturing her clit between his teeth when she suddenly scooted away.

  Rising up on all fours, Lizbeth shook her head, wagged her finger at Adan, and grinned. “Oh, no, you don’t. If you think for a moment that you’re going to get the opportunity to torment me into an orgasm without me tormenting you right back, you better think again.”

  She shoved him onto his back, straddled his face, and eagerly lowered her pussy to his awaiting lips. She leaned over the length of his body, captured the very tip of his cock in her mouth, sighed with contentment, and sucked.

  The wet heat of Adan’s tongue suddenly laving her clit was almost her undoing, but Lizbeth closed her eyes and concentrated.

  She tested the weight and feel of him as she slid her mouth along his shaft, taking in as much of his cock as she could. He was big and thick and hot, pulsating with an energy that matched the throbbing between her legs.

  He tasted of salty, ocean spray and warm, male musk, and he smelled of sunshine and passion. The beat of his heart pounded through his coursing veins, and the head of his cock tickled the back of her throat.

  He chose that moment to nip her clit, and Lizbeth’s eyes crossed with pleasure and she almost forgot her task. His chuckle and his “Oh, I see you really like that, Lizard” reminded her, this was a competition. One she had no intention of losing.

  She concentrated on remembering her Adan Hammerstrike lessons and redoubled her effort. Up his cock she sucked, stopping to tease the tender skin below and around the head. Her tongue played, darting in and out of the small hole on top one moment, only to lap, lick, and swirl about his shaft the next. One hand cupped, squeezed, and toyed with his balls, while the other held his cock captive.

  He squirmed beneath her, his breaths no more than quick pants. The muscles of his abdomen contracted, and his toes curled. She had him now. Victory was no more than a handful of heartbeats away.

  His tongue delved deep into her opening, followed quickly by first one finger, then two. Sliding them in and out, he stroked her. Latching onto her clit as if it were his lifeline, he sucked, and Lizbeth forgot to breathe. Pressure built to an almost impossible level, and her hips thrust back and forth of their own accord. She tried to concentrate, really she did. She lapped and sucked for all she was worth.

  Adan’s cock spasmed, and hot liquid flowed down her throat at the same time her own world exploded. She drank her fill of him while he devoured the last drops of her juices.

  Once the last spasm abated, she rolled off Adan and with total contentment snuggled into his arms.

  They looked in each other’s eyes, smiled, and at the very same time said, “Tie.”

  Lizbeth giggled once more.

  Chapter Seven

  “Fine, forget about food then. What’s your favorite color, my lady?”

  Lizbeth gazed into Adan’s smiling face, and her lips curved upward in response. “I don’t have a favorite color, my lord, anymore than I have a favorite food. I’m afraid I like them all.”

  Adan chuckled. “This is our third…date…Lizbeth. Yesterday shouldn’t even count. All you allowed me was to walk you to your dorm room. How am I ever supposed to get to know you if you insist on being so evasive? I can see I’m going to have to come up with consequences since you continue to avoid answering my questions.”

  His right hand slipped up the edge of her tunic and came into contact with the skin of Lizbeth’s left side. Warmth infused every inch his fingers touched. Then he began tickling, and with a shriek, Lizbeth squirmed and tried to scoot away to no avail.

  “Stop.” She giggled.

  “Not until you tell me.” Adan doubled his efforts.

  The last golden rays of sunlight filtered through his wheat-blond mane and silhouetted his bronzed skin. He had taken her once more to the beach, and its golden sand reflected exactly the warmth in her heart.

  Lizbeth longed to draw his head down to hers and run her fingers freely through his fair hair as her lips sought to memorize his face. Instead, she squirmed once more below him.

  “Yellow,” she squealed. “Today my favorite color is yellow.”

  “Now, was that so difficult, Lizard?” Adan whispered against a particularly sensitive spot right below her left ear.

  Even though the ocean breeze blew steadily against her heated skin, suddenly there wasn’t enough air to be found to breathe deeply. Lizbeth tried taking in large gulps of the invisible stuff while doing her best not to think about the tremors of excitement his touch had elicited. Shivers rushed down her extremities and left tiny chill bumps of pleasure in their wake.

  “I think we should be going. It’s getting late.” Her voice sounded far away and unconvincing, even to her own ears.

  Adan nuzzled her neck once more. “Answer just one more question for me then we’ll go. I promise.”

  Lizbeth smiled. “It depends on what your question is, Barbarian. I’m beginning to think you brought me here in the hopes of simply having your way with me once again.”

  His eyes gleamed with mischief, and heat flooded her middle, spreading upward all the way to the roots of her hair before spiraling down. Her pulse quickened, her breath came in quick little pants, her mouth went dry, and her cheeks burned as if on fire.

  “Ah, my lady, you wound me. Having my way with you could never be considered a simple task. I put much thought into my lovemaking. Though, the idea of you beneath me here and now on the sand is quite appealing. Perhaps later if there’s time.” Then he winked.

  Lizbeth shook her head. “You are incorrigible, Barbarian. Ask your question so we may be on our way.”

  Adan cupped her chin and stroked her cheek, the warmth of his fingers causing further havoc on her already sensory-overloaded brain.

  “Why do you wish to be an enchantress, Lizbeth?”

  Of all the things she thought he might ask, why she wanted to become an enchantress hadn’t been one of them. His question caught her off guard, and for a moment, all Lizbeth could manage to do was stare at him. Finally, she took a deep breath, compiled the same list she’d
given her brothers, and answered.

  “It’s been a dream of mine since childhood. I think I could be good at it. It would be a useful skill if you ever need a weapon imbued with magic or a talisman forged. It would be my way of contributing. And I believe one should never stop learning new things.”

  She held her breath, hoping Adan would let the subject drop. He didn’t.

  “But why an enchantress? Why not strive to become a druid like your mother? That could prove handy. Druids dabble in simple magic, but you only need a spell book to do what they do. Growing plants, healing sick animals, and such.” He scratched his head.

  “Enchantresses on the other hand come from predominantly magical races like high-elves or dark-elves, some humans or even the occasional gnome. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a barbarian enchantress. We barbarians aren’t usually the magical type, Lizard. We have talents, but it’s our brawn we are most famous for. So, just what are you trying to hide?”

  Clouds rolled in overhead, and the air became chilled, yet heat warmed her cheeks. This time, however, it wasn’t from passion.

  “Your own sister, Lark, certainly has more than her share of magical abilities and she’s as much a barbarian as I am.”

  Adan chuckled, but there was nothing remotely funny about the sound of it to Lizbeth’s ears.

  “Lark is half-human, remember? That’s where she gets her magical abilities. We have Spiritmasters on my mother’s side of the family, as you well know, and she took after them.” He reached over and tweaked her nose. “You, my sweet, aren’t any more magical than I am.”

  The wind picked up, and Lizbeth hugged her arms about herself as she sat up and scooted to the far side of the blanket. “Then how do you explain what happened with the fireball? These past few weeks, since I’ve been at the Academy, I’ve changed deep inside my very soul. I’d always hoped I would develop magical talent, and I think I have.”

  Adan reached over and patted her on the shoulder as if contending with a troublesome child, and Lizbeth had an almost overwhelming urge to smack his hand away.