by Dante King
“As you wish.”
There was a certain level of comfort that snuck into the conversation as we continued our feast. Once our plates had been cleaned with the still-warm bread, Barlin clapped his hands, and, of course, the table cleared itself It looked like it cost him nothing to perform his spells, but I could sense the subtle thrum of energy that was expelled every time he practiced the craft. Part of his power was that he made it seem effortless. It was a subtle and effective means of intimidation.
As had been discussed, Barlin and Yarina went off to inspect the dead mages, leaving Winnie, Lillian, and me alone at the table.
“Is that a library up there?” Winnie asked.
“One of the three libraries in the Spire. You can take a look, if you’d like.”
Winnie took the staircase to the left and climbed up to the mezzanine before disappearing into an aisle walled by two rows of bookshelves. I turned my attention to Lillian, who was suddenly very shy again. How could a doom mage be so cute?
“Thank you,” Lillian said. “That’s the second time in one day you’ve saved my life.”
I smiled. “It was my pleasure.”
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you before.” She seemed to have surprised herself by saying it so bluntly, and quickly turned to look at the bright lights of the city.
“Well, I’ve never met anyone quite like you before either. So we’re even.”
She smiled shyly. It amazed me how calm she was after what she had just found out.
“I’m sorry about your mother,” I said.
“Did you know your mother?”
“Not very well. My father was the one who raised me.”
Lillian nodded. “My father is a good man. He cares about me deeply, and he’s always given me whatever I asked for. Well, except my freedom.”
“Is that why you snuck out of the Spire this morning?”
Lillian’s eyes clouded over slightly. “It was reckless of me. I shouldn’t have been there at all. It’s just that when Orli told me about the collections in the Arcanum…I just couldn’t help myself.”
“I wasn’t aware that golem butlers could have even a cursory knowledge of, well, anything.”
Lillian smiled. “Lately Orli has been showing signs of advanced intelligence. He was created a long time ago, and I think he’s just evolving. Which is a good thing—he’s my only friend.”
The mention of the golem butler bothered me. Something did not add up about him, least of all his absence here tonight.
“He’s not your only friend,” I said, giving her a smile. “You have me now—and Winnie and Yarina.”
Her blue eyes glittered seductively, and she leaned into me a little without saying another word. She really was a gorgeous woman, a classical beauty of fine breeding.
“Man, I’m spent” Winnie suddenly said loudly I turned to see her looking down on us from the edge of the mezzanine.
I was sure she had interrupted the intimate moment between Lillian and me on purpose.She gave me a mischievous little wink as she walked back down the staircase.
“Let me show you to the guest bedrooms,” Lillian said.
We traversed the empty corridors of the Spire’s topmost towers before Lillian led us to a long corridor with a banister on one side and a line of doors on the other.
“The first three rooms have been readied for you.”
“Thank you, Lillian,” I said.
“Of course,” she nodded, before turning abruptly and going back the way we had come.
Winnie raised her eyebrows at me.
“What?” I asked.
“You two looked cozy back there in the Observatory.”
I laughed. “Weren’t you supposed to be looking at the books?”
“Oh, I don’t trust any woman with you for too long.”
“Go get some rest, Winnie. We’ve had a tiring day and tomorrow’s probably going to be worse.”
She opened the door to her room and her tails waved lazily about her head. “I’ll dream of you tonight,” she said, before disappearing into her chamber.
Chuckling to myself, I opened the door to my room and walked inside. But instead of seeing the Spire’s fantastical architecture, I once again found the cozy browns of Qilzid’s workshop.
“Welcome back,” Qilzid said excitedly. “How was your night?”
“Killed a few more corrupt mages,” I said, taking a seat on the large leather armchair by the fireplace. “Nearly got burned to death by a hostile staircase and rode a Golem into a wall. So, not a very eventful day.”
Qilzid chortled. “Do you have anything special for me?”
“Actually I do.” I pulled out the three Demon Seal rings. By now, I knew how this worked. I walked over to the cabinet closest to me and popped the rings onto the first shelf. Then I closed the cupboard doors and sat back down with my feet up.
Qilzid sighed with satisfaction. “I might be able to whip up a little something for you again. What’s your preference?”
I thought about the fights I’d engaged in today. While my Negation Aura was useful, it didn’t really shield me from attacks, it just blunted the hit somewhat.
“I could really use a shield of some sort. Something that will protect me against tainted spells.”
“I can do that.”
A moment later, I felt the floors creak slightly under the armchair I was sitting on.
“I have just the thing for you,” Qilzid said.
I heard a gentle whooshing sound and then something dropped from the ceiling and directly into my lap. The fingerless bracer was
“It’s a null-field gauntlet,” Qilzid told me. “Once you’re wearing it, all you have to do is make a fist and raise your hand in the direction of the attacking magic. It will bring forth a nullifying force field that will protect you from incoming spells. It basically takes your mage-slayer abilities and reinforces them.”
I slipped on the gauntlet and turned my hand from side to side. “It’s brilliant, Qilzid.”
“Why, thank you.”
“You truly are a genius, you know. You would have really appreciated the Spire. It kind of felt like you might have come up with it, so elegant, strong.”
“The Spire,” Qilzid repeated in a soft, thoughtful tone.
I frowned. “Wait. Did you design it?”
Qilzid chuckled. “I did. A very long time ago. But I never saw its construction get under way.”
“It really has earned its name as the most beautiful building in Trysca.”
“Ah, to walk within its walls…Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“Don’t give up that dream too soon. There’s hope yet.”
“Perhaps, one day. Now tell me… how is the search for my other great creation going?”
I took a deep breath and tried to sift through all the new information crowding my head. “It turns out Barlin Cyntria is a lot more complicated than I gave him credit for. He fell in love with a doom mage. And instead of turning her in, he had a child with her. He lost her to the authorities eventually, but he managed to protect Lillian all these years. He knew that keeping her alive was risky. He knew they would come for her eventually.”
“Who would ‘they’ be?”
“Barlin suspected Kalazar. But the necromancer was not the only one. And whoever he was working has the seal. Now all they need is Lillian.”
“Did Winnie give you any more information about the necromancer?”
“No. She was his prisoner. I doubt he shared sensitive information with her.”
Qilzid kept silent, but I refused to let him get inside my head. Winnie had fought alongside Yarina and me from the moment we had freed her from the necromancer’s clutches. She had proved herself to me and I needed to reward that loyalty with trust.
“Your affection for the girl is understandable. But never forget what she is. necromancers are vile creatures—”
“Not all of them.”
“Most of them. They dabble in the dar
kest of magic, no matter their intentions. Their magic is parasitic, underhanded, and completely devoid of honor. Some necromancers have been known to feed off the life force of humans, others dabble in curses and blood magic, and the very worst among them are skin stealers. You would do well to be wary of the girl. She is certainly something to look at, and that is why you must be doubly careful.”
“I am always careful. But I can vouch for Winnie.”
“Perhaps she has already cast you under a spell?”
“Not possible. I have always known my own mind and I have always trusted my instincts. I’m not going to stop now.”
“Speaking of instincts…what is your plan now?” Qilzid seemed to hate sitting by the sidelines more and more.
“We head out tomorrow in search of the golem butler that serves the Cyntrias. I have a feeling he has something to do with all this.”
“Are you taking the doom mage with you?”
I paused. “Would you advise that?”
“I would. Doom mages are capable both of activating and of deactivating the seal. If you do find the seal, then Lillian can put an end to it right then and there.”
I pursed my lips and thought about what the archmage’s face might look like when I made the suggestion. “I will ask her.”
A few minutes later I made a portal back into the Spire’s guest bedroom. I knew instantly I was not alone. Winnie’s magic pervaded the air. It was playful and seductive, and very determined.
I turned around to see her lying outstretched on the bed.
“Hello, handsome,” she said.
I smiled. “Come to wish me a goodnight?”
“I came to make sure you had a good night,” she said, as she got off the bed and slinked over to me. I noticed that the laces of her corset were undone, revealing the round fullness of her cleavage. She smelled amazing, of lavender and honeysuckle.
“Did you do the same for Yarina?” I teased.
“Yarina.” Winnie rolled her eyes. “I passed her room on my way here and I heard her praying. I’m all for worship—but I have different ideas of how one can please the gods.” She looked me up and down suggestively.
I smirked and started removing my armor. I loved my new defensive gear, but after a long day filled with battles, it felt nice to strip it all off and be left wearing nothing more than my own skin. Winnie reached out with her slender fingers to help me remove my plate and jerkins, and before long I was standing naked in front of her.
She drank me in hungrily with her eyes and placed her hands on my chest. “You are a true image of manly beauty. I never did thank you properly—for delivering me from Kalazar, and putting me on the path to righteousness. Who knew being good could be so…satisfying.”
“Something tells me you’re not easily satisfied.”
Winnie’s hands slipped down between my legs and her fingers curled softly around the length of me. I hardened in her hands.
“I suppose after tonight we’ll find out,” she said.
I leaned down to kiss her. Her lips were soft and plump and they tasted like cherries. She ran her tongue down my bottom lip and then bit me tenderly. I felt a tingle of excitement in my extremities, and I pulled her closer to me to explore her body.
When Winnie pulled away from me, she was breathless and her eyes were alight with desire. She stepped away from me and started undoing her remaining laces.
“Let me,” I said, reaching out and unfastening her corset completely.
I pulled it off her, and her perky, round breasts sprang free, jiggling ever so slightly from left to right. I undid her trousers and slid them down her legs. When I next pulled her to me, she was as naked as I was, and I felt a deep and turbulent craving as our skin fused together. I ran my hands down the perfect arch of her back until I found her firm ass.
I placed my hands just underneath her thighs and hoisted her up around my waist so that her legs straddled my waist. The moment I laid her down on the soft sheets of the bed, she sprang up and rolled me over on my back before climbing on top of me.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” she said, as my hands found her breasts and massaged them gently. The perfect feel of them, firm and soft, sent a judder down the length of my body.
She guided me inside her and moaned with pleasure as we fused together.
“Oh Kurt,” she whispered, as she moved back and forth in a gentle rhythm.
My hands slid down to her flat belly and then further down to her thighs. I could feel the swish of her tails against my legs as they swayed in an ever-increasing tempo. Her eyes closed every now and again, as though she were overwhelmed. I watched the pleasure ripple over her face and resolved to commit that angelic expression to memory. Our fingers intertwined, and she used my hands to push and move faster and faster, fusing our bodies deeper and deeper.
At the moment of her highest pleasure, she leaned down, so that her breasts were pressed against my chest and her mouth was at my ear. I felt her breath and heard her shuddering moan, which went on for what seemed like minutes, as she gently licked at my earlobes and kept moving her hips at the same speed. I wrapped my arms around her and I felt my own desire reach a crescendo. I gripped her ass, and she had nothing left to do, I moved her up and down powerfully, and finally held her close with a sigh.
We didn’t talk afterward. Instead, we gave ourselves over to fatigue, comforted by the buzzing satisfaction that clung to our bodies like morning dew on wild flowers.
15
I heard the sound of a heavy door creaking open, and my eyelids parted slowly. I was keenly aware that I was not alone in my bed; Winnie’s naked body was just a couple of inches from mine, lying on her stomach. Her hand rested on my hip. I lifted my head and saw that even in sleep, Winnie’s tails swayed gently back and forth, caressing her own back and tickling my side. Yarina’s scent caught my attention, and I looked over to find her standing by the chest where I had left my armor.
“Had a good night?” she asked, her mouth tight around the edges.
I sat up, and Winnie stirred slightly as her eyes fluttered open.
“Mmm…is it morning already?” Winnie asked.
“It is,” I said, as I swung my legs out of bed and stood up
Yarina averted her gaze in embarrassment, and I smiled with amusement. I had never been the shy type, and I wasn’t one for covering myself up in a stranger’s presence. I had no problem with Yarina being there, and she was welcome to enjoy the view if she wanted.
I walked over to the chest, while Yarina backed away from me self-consciously, as she tried desperately not to look in my direction.
“Where are my breeches?” I said, looking around. Then I spotted them on the floor next to Yarina. “Would you mind, Yarina?” I lightly gestured toward them.
She picked them up and approached me tentatively. As she handed over the breeches, our hands touched, and she looked up at me instinctively.
I smiled. “Thank you.”
She blushed deeply and turned around. “Tell me when you’re dressed.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I said, pulling on my trousers. “I don’t care about being seen.”
“Good,” Winnie said, from the bed. She was sitting on the edge, her legs dangling over carelessly. “Because I like watching.”
Yarina sent a glare in Winnie’s direction. “Did you have to be so loud last night? The whole damn Spire was shaking.”
Winnie laughed without reservation. “What can I say? I don’t take responsibility for losing control when a man satisfies me the way Kurt did last night.”
“And this couldn’t have waited till after we’d found the seal?”
“I needed to unwind,” I said. “And so did Winnie. I would recommend you do the same. I’d be happy to offer you my services. I think Winnie’s proof enough of guaranteed satisfaction.”
Winnie seemed unfazed as she got off the bed and retrieved her clothes. Yarina, on the other hand, didn’t know what to do with herself. I
reached out and brushed her cheek with the back of my hand.
“Desire’s not a bad thing, Yarina,” I said.
“I’m not saying it is. I just…we…we have work to do.”
But even as she spoke, her eyes fluttered down to the flat brick wall of muscle that covered my stomach. She looked like she wanted to reach out and touch me, but her inhibitions were strong.
“Oh Yarina,” Winnie said, fastening her corset tight and walking over to us. “You’ve got to learn to live a little. We might die today, did you ever think of that? Especially…in our line of work, let’s say. Do you really want to die without having spent a night with this man?”
As Winnie spoke, she put her hand on my chest and turned to admire me once more. “Such a man,” she said, sliding one finger down my torso before hooking her finger around the waistband of my breeches and stretching it toward her.
Just then, there was a timid knock on the door, and Yarina turned toward it gratefully.
“Come in,” she said immediately.
The door opened, and Lillian walked in. She was dressed in pale azures and shimmering silvers today. The colors brought out the deep, seductive blue of her eyes and her lush raven hair. She stopped short when she saw me, her eyes immediately travelling down to the eight defined ridges of my abdominal muscles and up again, before she looked down to the floor in a hurry.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—” she started.
“And you didn’t,” I said, as I picked up my leather tunic. “We were just getting ready to leave.”
“Kurt,” Lillian said, shaking off her embarrassment. “I haven’t seen Orli for two days now. It’s not like him to disappear like that. Something’s wrong.”
So my hunch about the butler seemed to be accurate. “Last night you told me that the butler was the one who told you about the Arcanum?”
“He just, he described it to me so beautifully…”
Yarina and Winnie exchanged alarmed glances.
“Wait,” Winnie said, “the butler described the Arcanum to you?”
“Yes, why?”
“He’s a golem, correct?” Yarina said.