The Great Forest: Laya: Dark Sculptor Novel 04

by D. R. Rosier

  Arun asked sourly, “Most?”

  Karana tilted her head, “Some of the mage level, and even master mage level concepts are at that level because of the required magic to cast the spells successfully, yet the concepts themselves are simple enough. Like summoning a familiar for instance, it takes a lot of magic and focus, a large mage aura, but it’s a fairly simple concept. So, it’s not all advanced magic that is beyond him, just most of it.”

  Arun said, “But he doesn’t have any mage aura, so how could cast those simple advanced concepts?”

  Karana said, “Because he doesn’t, cast them I mean. The simple biological creature that makes up our armor casts it. He isn’t limited to that, what if he bonded to a great tree, or all the grass in a large meadow, or simply removed the size limitation and grew out a piece of elven armor to the size of a building? That would give him all the magic he needs.”

  Her eyes had widened a bit there at the end, as if she hadn’t thought through all the possibilities before that moment herself.

  “What?”

  Karana frowned, “I’ll have to think about it for a while. I’m not sure if we should do it. Where does curiosity and research leave off, and give way for ambition and a desire for power? Imagine you coating our whole keep in elven armor, and then bonding it to our family. How much more powerful could we make the wards on our home, with that much magic to wield? We could push the edges back further, on what’s possible.”

  Huh, I wasn’t sure about that.

  “Why don’t we start out with a room first, or maybe just those basic concepts you talked about.”

  Karana smirked, “For a start.”

  Kaylessa cleared her throat, “Well that’s good news then, that you’ll be here a few days at least, I hope you don’t mind me stealing Saria some of the time.”

  I shook my head, “Of course not, your majesty.”

  Karana seemed to finally catch on that the king and queen seemed a bit nervous about her ultimate power trip, and she let the conversation die. I was sure that wasn’t the last of it though, but it would keep until we got home, we couldn’t try it until then anyway. I’d thought of similar possibilities, mages and flesh sculptors had the potential to complement each other in several ways, and I was all about helping out my three mage mates, although I’d never thought of anything quite so… ambitious before.

  I had the feeling Claire was going to be very popular with the royal family when her training was complete. And whoever else they sent. I expected at least one more from here, and another couple at Amathyr.

  Galen asked the question I’d been expecting for a while.

  “And, these organic spell devices, can anyone use one?”

  I nodded, “Yes, much like elven armor. It’s unlikely a sculptor will make you an offensive device, but protection, or something for convenience is more than possible. As I mentioned in court this morning, that was the luxury improvements I was speaking of. A plant that keeps a room at the perfect temperature, or cleans the room, or… you get the idea. Just about anything an apprentice mage could and does do to make his life more comfortable and safer. I’ll also be selling rings that protect from the more dangerous of the magical plants, and their effects on the human mind. Desirae has the first. And of course, my mates are protected from any… future accidental exposure already.”

  Well fuck, I hadn’t really thought that through had I? It was too late once I’d gotten toward the end of the sentence and figured out I was about to stir up the ashes and light a bonfire. Both brothers were red-faced, and the queen looked embarrassed. Way to go James.

  Desirae and Saria looked smug, and my other mates looked amused, so I supposed at least I hadn’t stepped in it with my immediate family and sister-in-law. The king I couldn’t really read, but he didn’t look angry. The baron and silent woman looked a little uncomfortable.

  Orum said, “That is good news, that level of protection for harvesters would be very well received by my people. My daughter hadn’t told me yet.”

  Desirae shrugged, “I just got it five hours ago, at lunch. Haven’t really had time to tell you about it given court, and with teaching Arun the first steps of how to control his magic late this afternoon.”

  Orum nodded in acceptance.

  After an awkward pause, everyone took the opportunity to shovel in a few bites, while trying to think of another subject. Or at least, that’s what I was doing. Between Karana and myself, we’d definitely thrown a wrench into the night, or maybe I was over thinking it?

  Kaylessa gave me a kind look, “Do you have any other plans? I understand the schools are mostly a temporary measure until parity between mages and apprentices can be reached?”

  Saria said, “We’re working on making you a grandmother.”

  The king glared at me, the queen smiled like Christmas had come early, Desirae laughed delightedly, Arun looked disgusted, and Sudryl started to choke on a piece of meat.

  Family meals, so much fun.

  I said, “Between healing those around Eastguard, supporting my mates, exploring my potential with Karana’s teaching and her experiments, perhaps selling those organic devices, and starting a family with all my mates, that’s probably enough to be getting on with. At least, until as you say, the school’s viability has passed. I’m sure that will keep us more than busy enough, but there’s always something else coming up.”

  Kaylessa tilted her head, “When all said in one sentence, it is a rather ambitious pile of tasks. Supporting your mates?”

  I shrugged, “Like me, they have ambitions, I would help them succeed much as they support me.”

  The queen nodded thoughtfully.

  It occurred to me I’d come a long way since arriving at this world. For the first month and longer my only ambition had been survival of myself and my mates, and perhaps to find a safe place for me and my mates to thrive. That was still a concern in this violent world, but the scope of what I and all my mates were trying to accomplish was so much bigger than that now.

  Thanks to Saria’s sort of save, the rest of the meal went fairly smoothly. The twins still hated me, but I couldn’t have everything. I also figured out it would take longer to win over my father-in-law, my mother-in-law seemed to like me already. Oh, and I did eventually learn the woman across from the Baron was his wife, Renesa, but she never did talk.

  Chapter Twenty

  On the way back from the suite my heart was beating with anticipation. I’d held things together during dinner for the most part, but the whole time Karana’s teasing and heavy flirting had been in the back of my mind.

  Which had actually been a little awkward at the time, I’d been hard for half the meal with my in-laws.

  She laughed, in a rich sultry musical tone that made my manhood stir, when I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind me. My other mates may or may not have been amused, I hadn’t looked.

  When I kissed her, her lips were accepting and soft, but her body was aggressive as she rubbed up against me.

  She said my name softly, even as she tugged and then pulled my shirt over my head. She pushed my body away, and then retreated toward the bed as she shed her robes, and then kicked off her boots.

  “Do you forgive me James?”

  I asked, “Is that why you teased me so hard all day?” as I stalked forward, leaving my own pants and shoes behind on the floor.

  She bit her lip as I got close, close enough to feel the heat off of her body on mine, but we weren’t touching. Her red eyes were full of barely restrained desire.

  “No, I just… couldn’t stop. You know how we, dark elves I mean, let our emotions out, constantly, as opposed to our light cousins? Well today our usual flirting wasn’t enough. I’ve been wanting to do this all day, I need you James, I need you in me, I need you to take me, I need your love.”

  That… kind of explained everything, from when she sat on my lap at breakfast and on through the rest of the day. It wasn’t about manipulat
ing me, it was about her need to express her love for me.

  I smiled, “I forgave you last night, there was nothing to forgive, not with drugs involved.”

  I reached up and caressed her face softly, and she closed her eyes and sighed.

  She said, “You know I like to tease you. I’d been planning to give you shit for that squeak all afternoon, once we were in private, and in fun. But… the drugs twisted that desire, added anger and I wanted to hurt you. It was… horrible.”

  I shushed her, and pulled her into a hug, the strong lust built over the day temporarily overshadowed by tender concern and deep love for my ebony beauty. Her head nuzzled into my shoulder and neck, and she shuddered in my arms.

  “You didn’t have to tell me, no one else did, I understand.”

  She shook her head, and I felt tears on my neck, “None of the others said what they were thinking, I owe you more than that. I took a sick twisted enjoyment out of it, what I said and where I said it. The look of sick betrayal on your face when I smirked at you, turned me on to the point I got wet. That’s why I couldn’t even look at you, I was so ashamed after you cleared my mind.”

  I thought I’d feel angry and resentful if they admitted their thoughts, or would have doubts, but all I felt was compassion and a deep abiding love for my silver-raven haired mate as I scooped her up and laid her gently on the bed. My elves were usually aggressive in bed, and while sometimes Saria submitted quickly without a real contest about half the time, Karana always fought me for the top so to speak, and we made love after the first intense coupling.

  Which was going to make this a rare experience, the lust to ravish her that had built up all day was completely subsumed by a deep need to show her just how much I loved her. I wanted to love her, protect her, and give her pleasure, I wanted to take her burden away. I wanted to see her teasing and flirty loving smile, and that deep sexy sultry confidence.

  She sighed into my mouth as I claimed her mouth with a soft loving kiss, and I ran my fingertips gently along her willowy supple body. My heart was pounding, and I felt vulnerable and strong as I whispered in her ear.

  “I love you Karana, you are sweet, sexy, and so beautiful. There is nothing to forgive, but if you need to hear it from me, I forgive you, my love. My heart, my mind, and my body are yours, they always will be.”

  She didn’t look sultry now, with a sheen of tears in her eyes, looking up at me with soft desire, need, and love. Most of all, surrender filled her eyes and her body language, as she caressed my face and gently drew me down for another kiss with a light touch.

  Her full lips were soft against mine, as I poured my heart into that kiss. When it broke, I saw in her eyes what she wanted, what she needed. She sighed in pleasure, as I kissed her neck, and both her breasts, before I crawled onto the bed and between her legs.

  I felt the wet heat of her sex, and took in the scent of her arousal even before I stroked my tip up and down it. Her eyes were pleading, and widened in pleasure, as I slowly sheathed myself in her warm welcoming body. Sparks of pleasure and euphoria filled my mind and body from the bliss of her tight slick passage, but that was nothing next to the passionate emotional high of seeing the gentle and awed surrender, love, and pleasure in her eyes as our bodies came together.

  Her whole body arched and ground against me sensuously as we came together, and a breathy sigh escaped her lips.

  “James,” she whispered, as she gave herself to me, body, mind, and soul.

  “I love you,” I replied, as I slowly pulled out, and pushed back into her delightfully hot and wet velvety passage. I was in awe of her, and in the joyful loving commitment I saw in her eyes, as the doubt, fear, and angst disappeared.

  We adored and worshipped each other, both of us in awe of the other as I slowly stroked in and out of her tight sexy body. We whispered words of love together, over and over, and said each other’s names with an intimate devotion and need. So much emotion and meaning in just whispering that one word as I said it, and when I heard it, it was overwhelming.

  Like the others, the drug had in the end brought us closer together, she’d never surrendered so fully before, as when she feared she might lose me, and I’d never felt so deeply or poignantly for her as well. The pleasure of her body, and the tenderness between us was indescribably intense.

  When her body trembled, and her sweet supple body came undone beneath mine, I groaned her name and gave in to the convulsing demand of her sex as her body milked me hard for my seed. The deep intimacy made me feel exposed and safe, as we rode the heights of ecstasy together. There was nothing quite like a moment like that, and it seemed to last for an eternity, and ended far too soon, as our bodies started to relax, and I claimed a soft yet demanding kiss.

  She wrapped her legs around me tightly, and then rolled.

  She stared down at me with a sultry teasing smile, but her eyes were still filled with warm and soft devotion. It was startling, and I felt the same way toward her, our relationship was stronger now. We also didn’t need to talk about it, we’d said all we’d needed to with our eyes, and our lovemaking.

  She ground down on me, and squeezed me tightly with her sex, not letting me go down, as my cock pulsed and jumped in response.

  She started to swivel and move in tiny movements and I watched with awe as she arched her body. She gasped and threw her head back as her body arched, when I cupped and played with her generous heart shaped C cups. She liked the rougher play with her breasts as well, but not quite as hard as I was with Saria.

  The atmosphere was definitely changing, lust and a desire for a good hard fucking rose up and twisted around our strong and newly affirmed love and devotion.

  Her hands rubbed my chest firmly, and fingers dug into my flesh for stability as she increased the urgency of her movements. The pleasure she was engendering in my body was decadent, as she twisted, circled, and ground against me, while tightening and loosening her sex around me.

  She gave me that flirty sultry smile I loved so much, with a teasing edge, right before she bent down and fed me one of her generous breasts, and then started to twerk her hips hard and fast. Raising and slamming herself down on me, over and over again, and I started to impale up into her in an opposing rhythm that complemented her every movement.

  My voice was a little breathy, but quite commanding.

  “Come for me love, I want to watch you and feel you convulse around and soak my cock.”

  Karana’s body obeyed, and she cried out. I felt her explode around me as I held her body up. She was so beautiful in the throes of ecstasy. As she started to come down, I cheated outrageously in our who’s on top contest, and bucked her off of me to the side, got up quick, and gripped her hips tightly. I pulled her up onto her hands and knees roughly, and firmly stroked into her from behind, drawing a gasp of pleasure from her lips.

  It’s not like she could have resisted, her body had still been weak and unresponsive from reaching completion.

  She accused sultrily, “Cheater.”

  I laughed, there are no rules in love and war. I spanked her ass hard, then started to drill her from behind as I got a firm grip of her gorgeous midnight black hair, sheened in silver. Not to be outdone, she started to buck and grind in a wanton abandon that took my breath away.

  She was wild, insatiable, and all mine. Neither of us were holding back, as we tried to fuck each other into submission, or something. Sometimes our game got a little… vague, but it was fun. Still, it felt so good as we were both racing toward completion in a headlong rush as the euphoria built up in my body and closely approached the breaking point.

  Then she cheated to win, to make me cum first, and used reverse psychology on me. I knew what she was doing, and it still fucking worked. I didn’t have a chance, but we were both really close to blissful rapture as it was.

  “Please, don’t cum yet James, I’m so close, so fucking close, fuck your fat cock feels so good, filling me completely, just a bit longer. Don’t you dare fill my pussy wi
th your seed yet, I’m almost there,” she said in a sultry begging voice, which of course didn’t so much as toss me over the edge, as it launched me like rocket into space.

  I managed to spank her hard and drill her two more times before my hands gripped her thighs firmly and held her against me. I gasped her name as my cock expanded and started to pulse inside her as I completely lost myself to pleasure she brought me. All I could think, was it was still damned good to lose.

  She screamed my name a split second later, and started to convulse around me, my own orgasm triggering hers, and when we came down I collapsed next to her on the bed and pulled her close.

  She giggled a bit wickedly, and then kissed my neck before gloating sultrily in my ear, “That works every time.”

  I accused, “Cheater.”

  She giggled, “I love you James.”

  “Always,” I replied.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The next few days passed quickly and were mostly relaxing.

  Desirae spent as much time as she could with us, and I enjoyed her company a lot. She was a good woman, sister, and friend to me. I sensed the potential for more there, she did seem to have a thing for me and I admired her, but it would never happen for obvious reasons, any one of which was enough on its own.

  Desirae and Sianna nailed down an initial treaty, and much as we’d expected it to be, it was a limited one week a year trading thing, that would probably end up being mostly merchants in tents by the forest to trade large amounts of stock to be resold in the cities. It also included mutual defense, against invaders to this continent, and the goblinoid races in the mountains. It was a good start, and if we built up trust it would change, we just had to avoid any major incidents.

  My relationships with my mates grew deeper and richer after the incident. Honestly, their intense love and devotion to me was almost a relief, because I was firmly wrapped around all their little fingers. The days were only mostly relaxing because it wasn’t all peaches and cream in Lelmalond. I stayed wary of the brothers, and there were others out there that meant me harm, which meant I couldn’t even really completely relax whenever we left the suite.