by Jamie Hawke
She smiled, running a hand along my chest and looking me in the eyes as she said, “Sorry. Men.”
“Call me a baby, I don’t care,” Chris said. “Just point me to the armor.”
Hekate gave us a sideways, jealous glance as we headed back with Elisa, but then returned her focus to the dark waves of energy starting to form in front of her.
In the lobby, Elisa waved over a short man who was dressed like one of the Munchkins and said, “Did you manage to grab it?”
He grinned and handed over a black gym bag before replying in a squeaky voice, “I had to run back in, but you made it sound important. What’s in there, anyway?”
“Shirts,” she said with a laugh.
He frowned, but his eyes went wide when she unzipped the bag and pulled out two shirts of nettles.
“These were originally made to break curses,” she said, handing one to me and the other to Chris. “I had made them for Jack, but you might need it where you’re going.”
“Am I going to find out more about that?” he asked, accepting the shirt and then yelping, instantly dropping it. I wasn’t sure what to do with the thing, as holding it was like holding a ball of needles, but made sure not to drop it or grip it too tightly.
Elisa, to her credit, simply laughed. “You’ll have to get used to it, but the pain is fleeting. Come, remove your shirt.”
He glanced back toward the door, uncertain. “Um…”
“Are you worried I’ll try to seduce you, or put the shirt on you?”
“Both?”
“Only the latter,” she assured him, though I had to admit that didn’t sound great. “That is, unless you want to return to your family and put them at risk. When you’re one of us, our magic keeps them from being found, but if you’re not…”
He grumbled, removing his shirt and standing there, waiting. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but jumped when she pulled the shirt over his head and lines of red followed. Grunts of pain came from within the shirt, and then his face was exposed and it was covered in blood—straight nasty, and she kept pulling the shirt!
“The fuck are you doing?” I asked, grabbing her arm and about to step in.
“Trust me,” Elisa said with a reassuring stare.
I did, as crazy as that seemed at that moment, so I released her arm and stepped back, still in shock. Only, as I looked at Chris the shirt was morphing around him, not even needing his arms for the sleeves, and the wounds on his face had healed, the blood gone.
He stared at her in confusion, blinking.
“Is the pain gone?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, meekly.
“Magic. That’s the price.” She adjusted the shirt, and it took on the look of a tan, cloth shirt. “Only put it on in private, as you’ll experience that same sensation each time. This will tells us once and for all if the witch has put a curse on you or any sort of spell to earn your affection.”
“Her name is Hekate,” he said, annoyed. “And of course she didn’t.”
“But now we’ll know for sure,” Elisa said. “And even if you already do, I have to be as positive as you are.”
“A small price for me to pay for your peace of mind,” he said, his sarcasm clearly missed by her, as evidenced by her smile.
“And why do I need one?” I asked.
“You don’t, necessarily,” she admitted. “But… it can fight off the werewolf. Sharon has agreed to take one as well, though… if she wants to transform now, she’ll have to take it off—which could be awkward in the middle of a fight.”
I tried to not imagine Sharon tearing off her shirt mid-fight, to keep my mind focused on anything other than the thought of her breasts jiggling as she prepared to kick ass. Trying was futile, and Elisa had to laugh.
“Be more obvious, next time,” she said, earning a blush from me.
“Hey, your fault—not mine.”
“Yes, well… She’s in, you know.”
I frowned, unsure where she was going with that and not wanting to be presumptuous. “In…?”
“The team. We’ll talk with the others, but I’m sure they’ll come around. Red is the most hesitant, but Sharon would like to be part of it, I can tell, and I want to make it happen for her.
Chris gave me a very impressed look, but then frowned again. “Wait, still… me. What’s this got to do with where I’m going? Are you going to clue me in now?”
“Right.” Elisa grinned, motioning to his shirt. “You’re going to infiltrate the witches’ coven. You wear this when you go there, even under your other clothes.
He frowned, totally confused, but nodded.
I had to admit—if I’d not recently found the most amazing life ever for myself, I might have been jealous. It sounded like he was basically about to live the much darker version of every ‘boy goes to witch school’ story ever told. A very dark version, where he had to scrape his face with thorns whenever he wanted to be sure to break a curse, it seemed.
“Why not always keep the shirt on?” I asked. “For him, I mean.”
“All the sex, for one,” she replied, as if that was obvious.
He stared, glanced down at the shirt, and seemed to like it that much more already.
“Sorry, the…?” I started.
“Yeah, of course. He’s going to find his coven. Not all are like this, but yeah, you’re going to have to get into some very sexual, very dark rituals that are going to push you to your very limits. You know, sexual limits. Oh, is that—sorry, I didn’t even think about it. Will that be a problem, Chris?”
Chris shook his head vigorously.
“Good, it’s settled.”
“And my shirt?” I asked.
“You don’t have to wear it now,” Elisa said. “But when the shadows are strong, the wolf coming out, or you anticipate going up directly against Shades? That’d be the time.”
“Got it.” I glanced down at in my hands, frowning. “And until then?”
She laughed. “The advantage of magical shirts. Just fold it up.”
I scrunched my nose, knowing this was going to hurt, and fucking A it did. Each fold tore at my fingers and hands, but soon I had it in a smaller square than I would’ve thought possible, and it took on the look of a pocket square. I fit it into the back pocket of my jeans, and was ready to go. Just as the wounds had healed on Chris though, so too, did those on my hands.
“The price,” I said, looking them over.
“A small blip on the larger pain scale of life,” Elisa said with a grin, holding up her own hands to show the scars. “Not all magic prices are temporary.”
We nodded, accepting that lesson, and after a moment Chris asked, “When do I, er, go off to this wizarding school?”
“Wizarding school?” Elisa said with a laugh, then thought about it. “Actually, in a way you will be a wizard, won’t you? I mean, they’ll think of you as a warlock, but since you’ll really be on our team—and that better not change—you’ll be a wizard. Interesting.”
“And badass as fuck,” Chris said, but cringed. “Ooh, sorry.”
“The language?” Elisa laughed. “Dear, in my time I’ve heard much worse, trust me. Come, keep your gifts hidden—yes, even from Hekate, Chris. Until you have no doubts, don’t trust anyone with absolute one hundred percent certainty… and maybe not even then.”
“Understood.”
“Now, Jack, we have business to attend to before we leave. Need to check our weapons and all that.”
I started to protest that I knew for a fact Excalibur was fine and ready to go, until I noticed her wink and a quick glance at my crotch.
“And Chris?” I asked.
“I think he and Mowgli should talk before we head out. We’ll meet back up when the portal’s ready.”
Chris gave me a nod and a knowing smile, then jogged off to find Mowgli.
“All that planning and myth lore talk,” she said, stepping close to me and running her hand along my abs, around to my back. She reached down and grabb
ed my ass so that my hips were pressed against her. “It works up an appetite.”
“We’ll have to make sure you’re fed properly,” I said, feeling like such an idiot. This kind of sexy talk thing was not in my comfort zone in the slightest.
Her smile showed she didn’t care, and with a deep breath she turned, grabbing me by the belt and leading me through the halls.
When we found Red and Pucky playing cards, she motioned for them to come along, and both followed, excitedly.
“Get Sharon,” Elisa said, stopping at some double doors.
“Are you sure?” Pucky asked.
“I’m not—” Red started, but Elisa grabbed my crotch and kissed my neck before saying, “Don’t be a dick, Red. Just bring her.”
Elisa opened the doors and led me in, the other two still lingering behind.
“I don’t want to make Red feel uncomfortable,” I whispered.
“She’ll be into it. Trust me.”
“Yeah, but…” I really had nothing to add, and so far every time this woman said to trust her, it had worked out for the best.
A glance around and I saw that she’d led me to a room that was decorated in Elisa’s familiar taste but with the added dash of a Moroccan theme. Silk sheets hung from the ceiling and surrounded beds full of cushions, but everything was white like the swans.
“This is necessary,” Elisa said, “for all of us.”
Red entered next, still looking hesitant, and then Pucky with Sharon. The latter froze, seeing what was happening, and bit her lip.
“Necessary?” Red asked, a glare directed toward Sharon.
“Could be the last time for a while,” Elisa said. “Who knows what could happen.”
She was the first to remove her clothes, stepping away to give me a show as she dropped them to the floor and turned to me, hands outstretched. I walked toward her, taking her hands and kissing them, moving along her left arm to her breasts. Sometimes perky works for my mood, and right then they were perfect. My hands moved to caress her, feel her nipples between my fingers as I stood to kiss her. Our tongues met as I felt another mouth kissing my neck and, judging by what felt like a horn on the back of my head, it was Pucky. Hands were working my clothes, and I glanced down to see my erect cock emerge for a second before Pucky had it in her mouth. Red stood by, not sure what to think, it seemed, as her eyes kept darting to me and then over to Sharon.
Lips nibbling at mine, Elisa saw this too, and pulled back, kneeling to join Pucky as she pushed my mouth toward Red. The latter accepted, kissing me and letting her guard drop, so that by the time Pucky motioned to Sharon and had pulled her into the mix, it was too late for Red to argue.
When Red pulled away from me kissing her neck, I thought she was going to say something about Sharon—who was hesitantly running her arms along mine. I was surprised to see Red step up behind her, reach a hand down her pants, and start caressing Sharon’s mound.
Sharon looked astonished too, but the others were smiling, licking my cock and balls, then my hips, and turning my cock for her to take.
“Get on your knees,” Red said, more forcefully than I was used to from her. I did, while Pucky finished undressing and moved behind me with Elisa, both kissing my back and caressing me, watching to see what Red had planned. None of us were used to this side of her.
Red pulled at Sharon’s pants and then panties, and I wasn’t surprised in the least to see an ungroomed bush down there—though watching Red’s fingers spread the lips apart and move into her was quite the sight. Red caressed her while Sharon’s eyes moved across me, from eyes to cock and then she was taking the initiative, bending over and having me lie down, so that she was over me, and her hand took my cock. She stared at it, fingers caressing the sides of the shaft, and then—as Red fingered her from behind, Sharon leaned over and ran her tongue along my balls, hand starting to stroke me.
“Fucking A,” Pucky said, rubbing her tits and then leaning over to let me kiss them, as I took my hands and started fingering her and Elisa.
Sharon was into it, but seemed uncomfortable, blushing as her eyes moved about, nervously. I took her face in my hand and pulled my hips back.
“You’re not ready?” I asked.
She looked hesitant, then said, “I am.”
“If she was, she wouldn’t have hesitated,” Elisa said, moving over to me and laying me back, straddling my hips and sliding my cock inside of her. “It’s okay,” she told Sharon, “watch, enjoy. Get comfortable. Next time, maybe you’ll want to join in.”
At that, Elisa started moving up and down on my cock, and I was lost in the bliss of it all. Sharon actually did look relieved to be watching, though Red looked almost embarrassed by the situation—maybe even mad?
My chest was clenched, anticipation rising when Elisa started moaning. She came first, though I knew I was close, and Pucky hopped on next as if they were taking turns at the theme park that was me.
She started slowly, seeing that I was close to climax, while Red and Sharon watched, Sharon simply enjoying the show while Red was touching herself in a way that turned me on even more. There was no way I was going to last, so I pulled Pucky in for a passionate kiss and then whispered, “I’m going to cum,” and she smiled, nibbled on my ear, and then rolled me over on top of her, so that when she grabbed my cock and squeezed, before she’d even gotten one good stroke in I was exploding all over her breasts and stomach. She laughed, Red moaned while massaging her clit furiously and finally reaching orgasm, too, and I lay back, closing my eyes.
“No rest for the wicked,” Elisa said, grabbing a box of tissues and handing them to Pucky. “It’s time.”
I pouted, wanting to take time to ensure Pucky got hers, but she noticed my reaction and squeezed my arm as she cleaned herself and said, “Next time. Trust me, I’ll survive.”
As they dressed, I found a bathroom to wash up, and on the way out spotted Pucky and Sharon talking, then noticed Red walking off.
“Is she going to be okay?” I asked. Turning to Sharon, I added, “And… you?”
“This is all new to me,” Sharon admitted. “But, as weird as it was, it was equally amazing.” Her eyes went to the floor and she mumbled, “I’m looking forward to next time.”
“Me too,” I admitted, and smiled before excusing myself to check on Red. There was no time, however, as Red was with Hekate when I caught up, and that sort of conversation didn’t feel right in front of a witch I’d just met—even if she had been getting nasty with my best friend when we’d first met. Raincheck, then.
The others caught up a few moments later, and we were ready to head off.
33
Going through the portal was much like it had been with the pizza place when saving Elisa. We stepped in and were through, finding ourselves in a penthouse suite that spoke of immense wealth. The walls were lined with masks from Africa, swords and suits of armor that looked like they ranged from medieval Europe to the Middle East, and paintings scattered throughout as well. My ladies were particularly interested in a set of glimmering gold jewelry, one of twisted metal that looked like a necklace, the other like a crown.
I’ll admit, all of this stuff was nearly enough to make me forget about what I’d wanted to talk to Red about. To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement—it was like having only ever seen vanilla ice cream your whole life and then one day walking into Ben & Jerry’s.
“You mentioned he was a collector,” I said, “but damn. This is like a museum.”
“He’s had a damn long time to collect it all,” Red said, hand on the blade in her belt. “After the forty thieves’ treasure, he just never stopped.”
“Wait…” I turned to her, jaw dropping before I managed to get out, “You’re telling me this is all Ali Baba’s stuff?”
She nodded. “As long as Morgiana isn’t around, we should be safe. She’s ruthless.”
“Wait, Morganna?”
“Similar name, but no. No relation.”
I nodded, glanci
ng over at Pucky and Elisa, who were already moving around cautiously, searching for the scepter. Hekate stood at the ready, eyes alert. I couldn’t see Sharon since she was behind me, but I could hear her quiet footsteps.
“You sensing something?” I asked.
The others looked over now too, and we waited. Finally, Hekate nodded, pointing to the hallway opposite my position.
“A ward,” she said. “They’ll be here soon.”
“Search fast,” Red said.
“It won’t matter.” Hekate moved to the hallway, kneeled and started to draw a line in the wood with one of her fingernails, an act that made me cringe. “I’ll do what I can to set up counter-wards, to stall them.”
“And who’s them, exactly?” I asked, joining in the search.
“Morgiana married Ali Baba’s son, a man who she trained in the ancient art of sword fighting known as the river dance—roughly translated.” Red cursed, having found a box hidden below some of the shelves, but it only contained a series of goblets. “Both are now known in these parts as the type not to fuck with.”
“And they’re not on our side?”
“Neutral-good,” she said. “Which is better than neutral-chaotic, as some of those back at the community college were, but they’d still rather fight us than let us walk away with the scepter.”
“How do you know if you don’t ask?”
“Shut up and help me find it.” She stood, stepping back and analyzing the wall in front of her, which had shelves with vases, several amulets displayed in glass cases, and other trinkets. “I last saw the scepter after the defeat of his brother, who’d gone evil. That was the day he went neutral, refusing to be part of the fight anymore.”
“How can you be sure he still has it?” Elisa asked, pausing in her search.
“Ali Baba?” Red scoffed. “He’s never lost a single item, aside from this dagger.”
“And now he’ll be having that dagger back,” a voice said. One of the suits of armor stepped forward, sword raised.
I was closest to the armor, and had my sword at the ready, so went to meet it. The armor was quick, thrusting and cleaving, and even with Red joining in and darting about as she did, it was hard to keep this bastard at bay.
