by B N Miles
They writhed, they fucked, they both broke into a sweat as they worked together. He teased her breasts, her pussy, her clit. He bit her lip and kissed her over her shoulder. He made her beg, made her say his name as his thick cock took her over and over again, filling her up, making her writhe. He lost himself in the moment, in the pure bliss of her body, and nothing else mattered.
She looked over her shoulder at him, legs spread wide, sweat beading down her skin. Her pretty lips fell open and she gasped his name. “I’m close,” she moaned. “Oh god, I’m so close. Keep going, just right there.”
Jared leaned over her. “Together,” he whispered.
“Fuck,” she groaned. “You better hurry, then.”
He growled and pushed her down, fucking her savagely. His blood was up, singing in his ears. She moaned his name, her lithe body surrendering to him, allowing him to have her and use her as he wished. Together they moved, fucking in rhythm, and he could feel the power begin to rise.
It’d been a long time since Jared slept with another Magi. He’d forgotten the way their orgasms could sync up, how the power would buzz in the air like a radio tuned to static. Lumi’s hair began to rise slightly, the air charged and intense. Jared sucked in a breath and slammed his cock deeper, inches away, mere strokes away.
Lumi threw her head back and gasped. He knew she was there. He pushed her back down and fucked her savagely, without mercy, and in the instant her orgasm took her, Jared let loose.
In that moment, there was no difference between them.
They came, their orgasms melding into a single note of pure pleasure. Their hair stood on end as their power exploded into themselves, making their bodies tense, tighten, twitch, and burst with pleasure. They floated above themselves, suspended on the ceiling, as the magic flowed. There were images, feelings, emotions, familiar and unfamiliar, all of it mixing, mingling, and whirling around their mind. Memories, old and forgotten, mixed with the present, every instant joining at once, flashing through them both in a myriad of color and emotion and light. And tinged through all of it was power, unabashed, incredible, unfiltered. They moaned, their voices loud and sustained, unable to do anything but submit.
It lasted an eternity, or maybe seconds. But slowly, Jared came back to himself. He groaned and could feel his seed deep between Lumi’s legs. She fell forward, collapsing onto the bed, and he fell next to her, his cock still hard. He blinked up at the ceiling, his body buzzing, his head dizzy, sweat dripping down his body.
For a second, they’d been joined. It happened when Magi came together, and it was disorienting and terrifying, but also incredible. He’d never experienced a melding like that before, though, so complete and whole, both of their minds entirely subsumed by the singular entity they’d formed. He felt her in that moment, felt her closer than he’d ever felt another person before. He knew her feelings, how much she hated her family, how afraid she was every day, how much she was growing to like Jared and the girls. He knew she was afraid of her own mind, afraid of her power, just like he was.
And he knew she wanted him, just as badly as he wanted her.
She stared at him, biting her lip, then smiled.
“All better,” she said.
He laughed. He couldn’t help himself. He let out a low laugh and pulled her over against him. He held her tight, no hesitation in him. Not after what they’d just shared, the intimacy of that orgasm, of their magic infecting each other, influencing each other.
He kissed her neck. She kissed his lips.
“Are you sure?” she asked him.
He knew exactly what she meant. There was likely a bond between them now, though not as intense as it had been mid-orgasm. “I’m sure,” he said.
She smiled and snuggled up against his chest.
31
Jared emerged from the bedroom, intent on giving Lumi some privacy. She wanted to get herself together before facing the girls. He also suspected she needed some time to rest. Even though the sex had cleared her of the Need and left her coherent, she was still physically drained from the fight, and coming down from the shot they’d given her.
He found Cassie and Jessalene sitting on the couch together. They looked up at him. Cassie looked happy and expectant, and Jessalene just tilted her head with a little smile.
“Sounded like that went well,” Jessalene said.
“I would say I was successful.” Jared walked over, knelt in front of his girls, and took their hands. “I just want to say that you two are the most important things in my life right now. You know that, right?”
Cassie nodded and kissed him. “Obviously.”
Jessalene blushed and hesitated. “You don’t have to say that. I mean, I know this set up is a little odd, but…”
Jared leaned toward her, pulled her down to him. He kissed her, kissed her slow, the way she needed. “I mean it,” he said.
She nodded. “Good. You better.”
He laughed and stood up. He felt good, clear, clearer than he had felt in a while. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer before coming back out. Cassie swung around to look at him. “What’s the plan, Marshal?”
Jared shook his head. “We’ve been going in circles so far,” he said.
“That’s how it feels to me,” Jessalene grumbled. “We get closer then suddenly we’re in the totally opposite direction.”
“Problem is, we were chasing after the wrong person.”
Jessalene nodded. “Arman said we needed to find Hank. That’s the Dryad that worked with Mondo, right?”
“Right. I have a feeling Mondo doesn’t even realize that it was Hank who killed Wen Bet. But if we can find Hank, we can find proof. And from there…” He trailed off.
“From there, we can make the Medlar back off.”
“Right.” He hesitated then walked over and sat down in a chair across from the girls. “Lumi told me something about your land, Jessa.”
“Yeah?” She tilted her head.
“It exists on the intersection of two ley lines. Did you know that?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t, but I’m not surprised.”
“That makes it a place of power, right?” Cassie asked. “My clan talked about that sometimes. Places all over the world where the magic is stronger.”
“Right. Sort of like how rivers and lakes are nexuses of power. Spots where ley lines intersect have the same sort of influence. Not quite as strong, but it’s still there.”
“Is that why they want our land?” Jessalene asked.
“Could be. But there have to be thousands of places all over this country where ley lines intersect. It doesn’t make any sense to fight so hard for one spot.”
“And what could they even want with all those places?” Cassie asked. “I mean, it’s not like the power transfers. They’d have to be in those spots all together to make use of the power.”
Jared frowned at her for a long moment. He remembered something from when he had melded with Lumi, just a flash of something. He saw a group of Magi, spread out over the world, joining their power together to do… something.
He’d thought it was just an image, one of hundreds. But as soon as Cassie said that, it came back to him.
“What if that’s their goal?” he asked, his voice quiet. “Some sort of big, interconnected spell.”
Jessalene cocked her head. “Is that possible?”
“I think so,” Jared said. “I mean, I’ve only read about it in books, but it’s possible to link up energy over distances. It’s hard, takes a lot of coordination and skill, but if they’re all at a ley line intersection…” He trailed off.
“They could summon some big power,” Jessalene finished.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Cassie said. She yawned and stretched. “Why are your Magi families such assholes? Seriously, on my world, Magi aren’t so bad. They keep to themselves. No big evil cabals.”
“Your world sounds weird,” Jessalene said.
Cassie laughed. “Your world is weird. But it’s growin
g on me.”
Jessa grinned. “You don’t have Buffy on your world. So ours is just inherently better.”
“Fair point.” Cassie looked at Jared. “What’s the next step?”
“Mondo,” he said. “We need to push him for every scrap we can get about Hank.”
“Yeah, that sounds right,” Jessalene said, nodding. She yawned. “But maybe we should sleep first.”
“That’s a good idea,” Cassie said. “Snuggle party in Jared’s bed?” She jumped to her feet. “I call middle.”
Jared smiled at her. He felt drained and exhausted, but still energized. “There’s one more thing,” he said.
Cassie paused at the steps. “Yeah?”
“Lumi. She wants to stay for a while. I just want to make sure you two are okay with it.”
“How long is a while?” Jessalene asked.
“I don’t know. Indefinitely, as of right now.”
She shrugged. “I’m okay with it. I still don’t like her, but she’s growing on me.”
“I’d love to have her around more,” Cassie said, a little smile moving across her face. “I’m going to have to give her a proper welcome.”
Jessalene groaned. “You know what she means by that, right?” she asked Jared.
He grinned. “I know exactly what she means,” he said. “And you know what? I bet she’d love it.” He knew Jessalene had gotten a nice welcome from Cassie when they’d brought her into the relationship, so he figured Lumi would need the same treatment.
Cassie laughed and headed upstairs. Jared stood and walked over to Jessalene, offering her his hand.
She hesitated then took it. “What was she like?” she blurted out.
He stared at her for a second, a little surprised. “She was…” He trailed off. “Different. But good. She’s pretty.”
“She is pretty,” Jessalene admitted. Her cheeks were still glowing red. “Is she joining us?”
“I think she wants to,” Jared said. “But I’m not making any decision on my own. It’s up to all of us.”
She nodded once. “I’m not ready to say yes to that. But she can stay here for a while.” She looked away. “I’m still angry with her. I’m not sure that’s going away any time soon.
“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand. “You’re a good person, you know that?”
“I’m not really. I think I would’ve killed her already if it weren’t for you.”
He laughed. “I doubt it. But I’m sure you wanted to.”
“I just feel so lost,” she said, her voice soft. “My life changed so fast. Everything with Ferric threw me off, and now we’re chasing after Wen Bet, who’s apparently dead, and I just… I feel lost.”
Jared gently pulled her against him and hugged her tight. “I know. But we’re here for you. Me and Cassie. And Lumi too, when you want her to be.”
“Thanks.”
He moved back, took her hand, and led her upstairs. They found Cassie already in bed, her clothes off, a vicious smile on her lips.
“Uh oh,” Jared said.
“Just because you got to have some playtime with Lumi, doesn’t mean you get to ignore us.” Cassie beckoned for Jessalene, who laughed and stripped off her shirt.
Jared looked at his beautiful girlfriends for a long moment, then took off his shirt, his pants, and climbed into bed.
32
Wyatt met Jared in a side room of the Philadelphia Meta County Jail, where Mondo was being held. Jessalene, Cassie, and Lumi sat nearby in the small, cramped waiting room on bright orange plastic chairs, huddled close near each other. Jared could see them through the open door, across the open tile expanse. They talked quietly to each other, and he caught Lumi smiling a little, although he couldn’t hear what they were saying.
The place smelled like old mop water, and the taste of sweat almost hung in the air. The white painted cinderblock walls were darkened by years of grime and dirt, and the pale woman sitting behind the front desk in her dark blue uniform was staring at her phone screen, barely looking up.
Jared pulled out a chair and sat down next to a round laminated fake wood table. The space they were in looked like some kind of break room. There was a vending machine, though it was empty and the lights were turned off. A small counter next to the vending machine had a coffee maker, also unplugged, and cabinets with stained white wood. There were two tables with three chairs each, all of which were flaked and chipped from years of hard use and neglect.
Wyatt lingered a few feet away, near the door, his arms crossed. The fluorescent lights flicked once, twice, and Jared could feel a touch of Meta auras, roiling along like waves. He wondered how many were being held in this place, but didn’t want to find out. All their auras would overwhelm him if he let them.
“Let me get this straight,” Wyatt said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You met with the Underlord of Philadelphia, got your family to do her a favor, and found that Arman Vampire, but he got away?”
“That’s right, sir,” Jared said. “Arman was much stronger than we thought he’d be.”
“Lumi Medlar could barely hold him,” Wyatt repeated and sighed. “That’s almost a little terrifying.”
“But he gave us a lead. I suspect Arman was just a middleman, just the guy facilitating the job. I think Hank was the real killer.”
“Hank,” Wyatt said, his voice flat. “The Dryad.”
“Right. I know it’s a weird name, but Mondo mentioned him before. I thought it was nothing at the time, but now I realize I should’ve followed it up.”
“And we’re here in this shit hole to get Mondo to talk some more.” Wyatt sighed and shook his head. “This investigating is getting deep, Jared. You know that, right?”
“I know, sir. I didn’t expect Lumi to show up the way she did.”
A little smile flickered on his face. “Seems like you’re collecting women now.”
Jared didn’t smile back. “Not my intent, sir.”
“I’m sure.” He looked over his shoulder, back toward where the girls were sitting. “Here’s what’s making me the most uncomfortable. I haven’t heard a thing about any of this.”
Jared furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“My superiors have been breathing down my neck about everything you’ve been doing lately. Any move you make, they bitch and moan at me. But all this? I didn’t hear a single peep.”
Jared shifted in his chair and sat up straight. “Do you think something changed?”
“I think Lumi left her family, and that has them on edge. That girl knows things, Jared. Beyond that, she’s an extremely powerful Magi. I suspect she’s one of the strongest in her family, if not outright the best. The fact that she’s working with you now is unsettling, to say the least.”
Jared hadn’t thought about it that way. He knew Lumi was strong, and he knew the Medlar likely valued her. But he didn’t think they’d be afraid of her.
That was a good thing, though. It meant they might have some leverage against them, might be able to move with impunity for a little while at least.
“Either way, I need to talk to Mondo. If he can lead me to Hank, I can prove Wen Bet’s dead and invalidate everything the Medlar’s been doing.”
“Then what?” Wyatt asked.
The question surprised Jared. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
‘Then what?” he pressed. “So you solve this case, save Jessalene’s land. What next? You go back to riding the desk at the Marshal Service, doing nothing?”
“I don’t know.” Jared shook his head. “I sort of assumed that, yes, sir.”
“The Medlar won’t forget this. And they won’t forgive it. You’ll be on their shit list, son, and you don’t want that. Are you really sure you want to keep going with this?”
Jared hesitated. “I think I’m already on their shit list,” he said.
Wyatt barked a laugh. “That’s true.”
“Listen, sir, I don’t know what’s coming next. But all I know is I ne
ed to solve this case. I can prove Wen Bet’s dead, clear that warrant, and help Jessalene make the Medlar back off. I can do that much, but beyond that I just don’t know.”
“Fair enough,” Wyatt said. He glanced back toward where the girls were sitting across the hall. “I just hope you know what you’re doing. I’m on your side, but I’m starting to worry we’re both in over our heads.”
“I think we’ve been in over our heads since this all started,” Jared said. “We’re just learning to swim.”
Wyatt smiled and shook his head. “Come on. Let’s go talk to your Goblin.”
Jared got up and followed his Captain back out into the waiting room. The girls looked up and Jared gestured for them to follow. They stood, Cassie skipping over and taking his arm. The woman behind the desk rolled her eyes but led the group through a locked and barred door.
Jared could feel the auras as they walked down a short hall with a series of doors on either side. Their footsteps echoed off the cinderblocks. The doors were painted green and had no windows, just a series of numbers and letters on the front. The girls stuck close, except for Lumi. She lingered back a little, her head tilted to the side, likely feeling the auras as sharply as he was. Although she didn’t seem unsettled by them.
The uniformed guard led them down another hall, her shoes squeaking on the dirt-streaked vinyl tile. She stopped outside of a room, unlocked the door, and gestured. “He’ll be in shortly,” she said. “Have fun.”
She walked off back the way they came.
Wyatt turned to the group. “Enough room for two of you,” he said. “I’ll wait here.”
Jared nodded and looked at the girls. “Who wants to come in?” he asked.
“Not me.” Cassie made a face. “Mondo’s kind of an asshole.”
“True. Although I think he’s afraid of you.”
She snorted. “Jessa should go in. He doesn’t know Lumi.”
Jared nodded. “I agree. Jessa?”
“I’m in,” she said. “Can I beat him up a little bit?”
“No,” Wyatt said.
She sighed. “Lame.”