Arcane Dropout 6

by Edmund Hughes

  Still holding her braid as though it was the bridle of a horse, Lee slid his cock into her. Harper made a noise he’d never heard from her before. He squeezed her butt and gave it another small spank as he began to thrust.

  “We’re going to… have a talk about this… after,” she said, voice breathy.

  “Arch your hips a little more.”

  Harper let out a low moan and did it almost before he’d finished his sentence. Lee leaned over her more, palming her breasts and feeling them sway and jiggle against his palms.

  He listened to the noises his former master made as he continued thrusting into her. She tried to hide them, which was hot, for some bizarre reason. Listening to Harper moan and whimper with pleasure—each sound muffled by the pillow as she buried her face into it, only to escape fully as Lee pulled firmly on the braid to bring her head back up—it was a side of her that he’d never seen before, one he’d never accessed before.

  “Have you just been waiting all this time for someone to pull on your braid?” he asked. Harper let out a slightly annoyed-sounding squeal.

  “Eldon…” she said, biting her lip.

  “Lee,” he whispered. “My name is—”

  So close, but so far. Harper suddenly reached out, grabbing the hand holding her braid and twisting. He was underneath her again, on his back. She grabbed the tip of his cock and positioned it inside her. The transition happened fast enough to leave him breathless, and from the way Harper was grinning at him, the surprise must have been clear on his face.

  “I’m not done being your master just yet,” she said.

  He reached for her braid again, but she tossed it over her shoulder. She pressed her breasts into his face as she began working herself along his length, up and down, the grip of her sex tight against his tool.

  “Jesus, Harper,” he moaned. “I’m going to…”

  “Do it.” She kissed him, biting his lip. “Inside.”

  Lee felt his entire body tense as he unloaded within her. Harper kept riding, as though milking him for every ounce of his seed. She leaned forward, kissing him and running a hand through her hair. Lee made another grab for her braid just to see how on guard she was. Unsurprisingly, she flicked it out of reach just before he could get it.

  They lay together, sweaty and blissful, breathing falling in and out of sync. Lee was smiling, tired and happy in that special way that made him feel as though the world would make sense once he went to sleep and woke back up.

  The door creaked open, and Tess skipped into the cabin. Lee noticed the mischievous gleam in her eyes an instant too late. She cackled as she tossed a pile of loose snow onto their naked bodies in one last prank.

  CHAPTER 43

  The pond began to stir in the telltale whirlpool of water teleportation that evening. Lee, Harper and Tess each jumped through, and Ryoko was waiting with towels on the beach when they reached the other side.

  The smile on Ryoko’s face all but confirmed Lee’s hopes before she’d even said a word. He shivered as he dried himself off, hesitating as he vied with the final sliver of his doubt.

  “Zoe?” he asked. “Is she…?”

  “She’s awake,” said Ryoko, with a grin. “We were so excited when it happened. We hoped it meant you’d won, that you’d defeated the Unavowed Queen, but…”

  “That’s exactly what it means,” said Lee.

  Tess had been the last through the transfer, and Ryoko suddenly gasped as she caught sight of her emerging from the water, soaking wet and shivering. Lee held a hand up.

  “One more thing,” he said. “Ryoko, allow me to officially introduce you to Tess.”

  “Oh!” Ryoko covered her surprise quite well. “Ms. Tess, I’m afraid I only brought two towels.”

  She offered a deep bow.

  Tess grinned and waved a dismissive hand. “That’s fine, I’ll just share Lee’s.”

  Ryoko drove them up to the mansion. They were quiet, more due to exhaustion than lack of discussion topics. Zoe was waiting in the mansion’s foyer and pulled Lee into a tight hug the instant he came through the door.

  “Little brother, you are a miracle worker!” She kissed on the cheek and mussed up his already damp hair. “How did you manage it?”

  “It’s a long story involving a broken magic sword and several hallucinations,” said Lee.

  “Are you okay?” Zoe circled him, getting a bit more thorough with her checkup than Lee appreciated. “You look pale. Have you been doing that nosebleed thing again? Ryoko, what foods are good for iron deficiency?”

  “Most meats, I think,” said Ryoko. “Um, lentils?”

  “We already have dinner prepared,” said Zoe. “Let’s get you a seat at the…”

  She trailed off as her attention settled on Tess. Mira was also standing at the top of the stairs, watching the scene like a bird of prey considering a potential strike.

  “Wait a second,” said Zoe. “Lee. I don’t feel your mystic stream right now.”

  “It’s not up,” he replied, suppressing a smile.

  Zoe stepped in closer to Tess, who simply smiled and shrugged a single shoulder.

  “Tess,” said Zoe. She poked her in the cheek, then in the breast, eliciting a tiny annoyed noise from the other woman.

  “What is it with you and your brother and my boobies?” she said in a huff.

  “How in the world…” Zoe shook her head. “You’re not telling me that she’s… alive again? That’s not possible. Eldon, what the fuck did you do? That shouldn’t be possible!”

  “Trust me, I know,” said Lee. “When I defeated Eliza, the power she’d collected seemed to hang in the air for an instant. It responded to me, what I wanted… what I needed. Tess’s soul had been captured by Eliza, and well, the rest is pretty simple.”

  “Pretty simple?” Zoe slapped her leg and scoffed. “A demon bringing someone back from the dead isn’t simple! I would be shocked if it’s ever even happened before.”

  Ryoko let out a small, slightly embarrassed cough, and Zoe seemed to reweigh her argument. It was only then that Harper stepped forward, her posture and countenance much more guarded than the others.

  Zoe’s eyes darted toward those of her former lover. Mira came to stand next to Zoe, setting a hand on her shoulder. Lee felt his jaw tense and had to suppress a groan. The prospect of fighting through zombie trolls and a demoness only to return home to a domestic dispute between a sorceress, a mage, and a vampire was like the setup for joke with a terrible punchline.

  “Harper,” said Zoe. “Thank you… for keeping my brother safe.”

  “You’re welcome,” said Harper. “He means a lot to me now, Zoe. I hope you… know that.”

  “I do,” said Zoe. “I know. And, if it’s what he wants, I’m alright with it.”

  “Good,” said Harper.

  Zoe nodded. “Alright then.”

  The proceeding silence was one of the most uncomfortable that Lee had ever experienced, but he still relaxed, knowing that the specter of violence between the two women had finally dissipated. He put one arm around Harper’s shoulder and one arm around Tess’s.

  “Do I smell food?” he asked.

  ***

  Lee was in the unenviable position of being both starving and, as he began to dig into the chicken curry and flatbread that Ryoko had prepared, slightly nauseous. He sated himself on small bits of bread and water, warming his stomach up. Zoe shot him a disapproving glance as he poured himself an additional glass of wine before turning her attention back to Tess.

  “Eldon, what in the world are you going to do with her?” she asked.

  Lee chuckled. “She’s not a pet kitten, Zoe. It’s up to her.” He turned, addressing Tess directly. “It’s up to you, Tess. You’ve been given a second chance at life.”

  “You can’t just release her into the wild!” said Zoe.

  “Okay, like I just said, Zoe, she’s not a cat.” Lee nibbled at a piece of chicken. “She can decide to do… whatever she wants.”


  It felt weird to say aloud, even though he’d been asking himself the same question since they’d first had a moment of downtime in the cabin. When Tess had been a ghost bonded to him through a pact, their relationship had been codependent in a mostly healthy sort of way.

  She was a woman now, her own woman. As much as he hated the idea, she could go her own way. He wouldn’t stop her. He loved her too much for that, too much to ever stand in the way of her and what she truly wanted, especially after all she’d done for him.

  “Is it that much of an issue?” asked Tess. “What happens to me, I mean. I just sort of thought that we could…”

  She trailed off, and Lee wasn’t entirely sure he understood what she was suggesting.

  “The modern world is a complicated place, Tess,” said Zoe. “Especially now after the Unavowed Queen’s attacks. You don’t have a valid citizenship in any country, at least not one you could currently use. You don’t have any money. You’re in a bit of a bind.”

  “Oh…” Tess’s expression fell, and she poked at a few peas with her fork. “I was just hoping that… I could stay with you, Lee. Like nothing had changed.”

  “Of course, you can,” he said, squeezing her shoulder. “My point was that if you wanted to leave, to explore the world or make your own path, you can. Nobody can stop you doing that, Tess. You get to decide what you do, now.”

  “Even if it’s living with you rent-free?” said Zoe. “She won’t be able to work a normal job without a Social Security number.”

  Lee shot his sister a glare. “She’ll be my live-in maid, then.”

  “Lee!” said Tess.

  “Being a maid is nothing to be ashamed of,” said Ryoko. “It’s just like any other job.”

  “I’ll pick you out a really sexy uniform, too,” said Lee. “Maybe a naked apron, or something with leather.”

  “Lee Amaranth, you pervert!” Tess flicked a pea at him, which he caught in his mouth.

  “We all should be asking ourselves that same question,” said Mira. She was sitting at the head of the table, in the chair that previously had been reserved for Jack. “Where do we go in this new world in which we find ourselves?”

  Her words hung heavy on the air. Surprisingly, it was Harper who replied first.

  “The Order of Chaldea no longer exists, at least not in a unified fashion,” she said. “You, all of you, have the option to simply live your lives. Nobody will seek you out or attempt to capture you if you just go about your business.”

  “Is that what Jack would have wanted?” asked Mira. She looked at Ryoko, and at Zoe, as she spoke. “For us to simply sit back on our laurels and watch the world turn? We have a chance to take power. There’s a vacuum simply begging to be filled.”

  “Jack wanted us to help people,” said Ryoko. “That’s what we were really doing, Mira. Yes, he wanted revenge for Katie, as well, but he… I don’t think he’d want us to fight at a time like this. He’d want us to keep helping, wherever we could.”

  “I agree with Ryoko,” said Zoe. She folded her arms and looked over at Lee.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I can see it in your eyes that you already have something planned, Eldon,” said Zoe.

  “I suppose I do,” he said. “I think I’ll get back to work.”

  Zoe stared at him blankly. Lee scowled back.

  “Amaranth Investigations,” he said. “My freelance mystic service? You know, the career I gave up to run off to Primhaven in search of you?”

  “Seriously, Eldon?” Zoe sighed. “That’s what you’d put your energy into at a time like this?”

  Lee set his eating utensils down and lifted his wine glass. “Yeah, it is. I’ve been thinking about why Eliza did what she did.”

  “It wasn’t her, Eldon,” said Harper. “She was—”

  “I know, I know,” he said. “She was the Unavowed Queen. But Eliza was still in there, somewhere. I still heard her voice. She showed me a vision of a potential future when I faced her. A future in which the two of us were hunting down other demons.”

  All of the women at the table glanced at each other and then back toward Lee.

  “I’m not convinced we can take it easy just yet,” he continued. “I plan on setting up shop somewhere convenient and keeping my ear to the ground. I might just need some help if anyone’s interested.”

  Tess’s hand shot up, and a veritable gleam took up residence in her eyes. “Ooh! I can help. I’ll be your partner, Lee!”

  “That goes without saying,” he said. “Partner, slash live-in maid. Slash secretary? Somebody’s going to have to answer the phone.”

  Tess pouted and flicked another pea at him.

  “I have to check in with my family,” said Harper. “But I suppose I could help in a… consultant capacity. Maybe more, eventually.”

  Lee grinned. “That’s good enough for me.”

  He waited, sensing more voices might add in their support. Ryoko and Mira simply looked at each other. Zoe sighed and folded her arms on the edge of the table.

  “You’ll have my help as well, little brother,” she said. “Which means you’ll have theirs, too. But that doesn’t mean that we work for you.”

  “Of course not,” said Lee. “Your massive ego could never handle that.”

  “Eldon!”

  “He’s not wrong,” said Mira, flashing a fanged smile.

  “Don’t encourage him, or my blood is off limits tonight,” said Zoe.

  “My neck is always available, for the right price,” said Lee.

  “Um, Lee…” whispered Tess. “Now that I’m not a ghost and the pact doesn’t exist, I can’t protect you from the effects of her enthrallment.”

  “Oh, we have potions to protect against that,” said Mira. “You were saying, Lee? Your neck is available… for the right price.”

  Underneath the table, Lee felt a foot slide up his thigh. Tess and Zoe were both glaring at him. Harper’s expression reminded him of all the times he’d bungled spells during his training back at Primhaven.

  “Ryoko,” he said. “Is there any more wine?”

  THE END

  That’s it for now, folks. These characters are dear to my heart and will likely be making a return at some point down the line, but for the near future, they shall rest. My next book, Obsidian Knight (space sci-fi with cyberpunk themes) will be out on February 1st. To get in touch with me directly, send an email to edmundhughes@outlook.com. For updates and occasional freebies, sign up for my newsletter or follow my new Facebook page

  Edmund

  OTHER BOOKS BY EDMUND HUGHES

  Wind Runner

  Heartgem Homestead

  Blood Mage

  Sword Sirens

  Sword Sirens

  CHAPTER 1

  Aristial Stoneblood adhered to a single, hard rule when it came to sparring in the dueling cavern. He always took his shoes off, regardless of how unstylish it looked. He could feel the cold stone underneath his feet in all its gritty, damp glory, along with the spots where moss or mud had made the floor unexpectedly treacherous.

  Jarvis circled around Ari on the other side of the ring, which currently had more than a dozen other boys near their same age packed against the outer rope, shouting encouragement and jeers. It was distracting, ebbing and flowing in waves as the noise echoed throughout the massive chamber.

  The glowmoss had been carefully seeded across the ceiling of the cavern to ensure that it was one of the more adequately illuminated locations within Golias Hollow. The cave was well enough lit that Ari could see the expression on Jarvis’ face, though it was of little help. He’d fought most of the similarly aged boys in the community, and Jarvis was, outside of himself, the most unpredictable of the bunch.

  Ari took a step back, shifting his bare foot off a stone that was slick with condensation. Jarvis rushed forward, seizing the opening. He was tall, with the heavily muscled physique of a digger and a naturally bulky frame. Ari’s only physical advantages were his broad shoulde
rs and lanky arms, but he was agile, and spun out of the way of the other boy’s tackle.

  There was no point in throwing a punch, given his current angle, but he managed to get hold of one of Jarvis’ wrists and lever his arm in a way that threw him off balance. Jarvis tumbled to the ground, one of his shoes fighting for purchase against the same slippery stone Ari had been wary of before.

  He hurried to press the advantage before Jarvis could get up. He’d taken two steps forward when a small, jagged rock clipped the side of his forehead, forcing him to hesitate. He looked in the direction the thrown stone had come from and saw Harris, the Hollow Lord’s son, smirking at him.

  “I was aiming for your shoulder, orphan,” said Harris. “Deepest apologies.”

  Ari rolled his eyes and wiped a spot of blood from the edge of his scalp. Jarvis was already pulling himself back to his feet.

  “I’d be more offended if I wasn’t so sure that you were telling the truth,” said Ari. “It’s common knowledge that you have the aim of a blind cave rat.”

  He couldn’t shift his attention over to enjoy the reaction of Harris and his easily bruised ego, but he still allowed himself a small smile. Jarvis was circling around him, and it was time to finally get serious. He feinted forward, forcing Jarvis to take a step toward the slippery section of rock, and then unloaded a fast volley of punches.

  How many times had he and Jarvis been pitted against each other before? He’d lost count. Ari had sparred against all of the boys in the cavern, back when they’d all been young enough for the fights to go either way. As he’d gotten older and better at fighting, the shame inherent in losing to an orphan had deterred most of his challengers.

  Jarvis had become a tool for the other boys, in a sense. A surrogate through which they could continue their childish games, despite the fact that most of them would never dare to harass him alone and to his face.