by HP Mallory
Ever since I’d witnessed this spectacular vision, I wanted to ask her what had been the reason. But with so many folk about us, I had nae choice but to wait until we were alone.
Jeanne walked a few steps behind the Flamels as the alchemist couple led the rest of us. Jeanne kept stealing glances back at our ragtag crew to make certain we were keeping up. Like meself and Besom, it may well have been a matter of comfort and familiarity rather than leadership that kept her so close to Nicolas and Perenelle. A mutual connection from a shared origin goes a long way in a strange and unfriendly land.
I almost wondered if Jeanne was also staying close just in case the Flamels proved to be traitors? After the truth of Gwydion was revealed, I doubted Jeanne would ever trust easily again. As to me, I wasnae the sort to trust easily as well but Ah knew the Flamels an’ believed them tae be a good sort.
I think it was Harry who gasped as we rounded the corner of the leveled block. At first, all I saw was a few heavily battered skyscrapers. Jeanne said something in French to the Flamels that sounded like a question. Old Nicolas just pointed to a spot between the two towers. I had to squint meself but I eventually glimpsed a modest, two-story house.
The house had a mottled coloring scheme—probably owing to the war—but it looked like it belonged in an American suburb rather than this Circle, even on the latter’s best days. As I came closer, I realized me eyes were fooled regarding the mottled colors on the outside. The house was constructed from various mason and concrete fragments of fair sizes. Given the mixes of browns, greys and blacks, all the pieces had obviously come from different buildings. Some parts of the roof looked like they formerly belonged to the nearby skyscrapers. The hodge-podge made me recall old Nan’s patchwork quilt, if such were turned into a dwelling.
Nicolas walked up to the brown brick door and knocked upon it nine times in a complicated pattern. A series of glyphs appeared, prompting him to say something in a bastardized version of the Roman tongue. The door soundlessly swung open and he gestured us to enter.
The interior of the house was vastly larger than the exterior would suggest. At the right of the door was a single flight of stairs leading up to the next floor. Ahead of us was an open space with a set of curtains covering the windows on the back wall. The solid right wall had a row of seven hospital-style beds with decent mattresses upon them.
The left side of the room was a massive, solid collection of shelves that occupied the whole wall. Each of them was filled to capacity with a number of flasks, vials, pots and urns. Containers of glass were filled with powders or liquids, some that bubbled and others that glowed unnaturally.
Besom asked the obvious question. “How did you manage to create a setup like this?”
Nicolas’s wife approached the shelves and replied, “Oh, it was truly no great matter. This makeshift storage unit and clinic came as repayment for services rendered on behalf of the Cyclopes.”
Young Harry looked about himself with heavy doubt upon his pale face. “How could a bunch of one-eyed guys build something this good from a collection of Jenga blocks?”
That question I could answer. “They’re more than jist the one eye, Harry. The Cyclopes actually earned a well-deserved reputation as master forgers an’ artisans. A few o’ ‘em are even engineers, fer whom a house sooch as this’d be naethin’ special.”
Perenelle pulled a vial off the shelf and nodded with a smile on her lips. Then she gestured for me to come closer and I obeyed. Meanwhile, Nicolas nodded his approval at me answer while looking over more shelves.
“Indeed, Monsieur Black, I can think of no other race that could so well accomplish a task using such disparate resources as their base material.”
His wife raised an eyebrow at him. “Not even the alchemists in our esteemed circle, dear husband?”
Nicolas snatched up an urn and gestured for Harry to join him. “Had we been given the advice of a Cyclops, ma cherie, I expect we would have discovered all the secrets of this universe in a single afternoon.”
A shock of pain ran up and down me back when Perenelle touched a piece of cotton dipped into some liquid to me open wounds. I clenched me jaw when more of the painful jolts followed. The dabs from the cotton swab dipping into me whip wounds hurt nearly as much as the whip itself. I distracted meself by looking at Nicolas. He was carefully treating Harry for his bruised jaw with a dark paste he’d pulled from one of the urns.
Perenelle smiled at me. “It is good to see you are no longer the master of this domain.” She paused. “Though I must admit you were a much fairer master than is Alaire.”
“’Tis good tae see ye both again, Lady Flamel,” I said.
Though I could still see the marks of the whip around her wrists, Jeanne worked as a proper nurse for Nicolas. The old scribe looked past Harry to see the others falling into line, nae doubt to have their wounds treated as well.
Nicolas said something in French to our battlefield angel. She, in turn, grabbed more vials and flasks from the shelves. Meanwhile, Besom and her stookie angel went off to the corner of the room, near the stairs. They were engaged in a deep conversation, punctuated with a few hugs and sniffles. ‘Twas good to see them reunited again.
I felt a few reassuring pats on the unwounded portions of me back in place of the swab. Perenelle looked over the rest of me body as she walked in front of me.
“All done, Monsieur Black. Unfortunately, I lack a proper set of bandages to protect the wounds while they heal but—”
I held up me hands and shook me head. “Ah’ve ways o’ speedin’ the healin’ along, nae worries, lass, boot thank ye all the same.”
She hummed and frowned a little. “Even so, I highly recommend you keep your back, as much as possible, undisturbed until those wounds have closed. There is, I fear, a significant danger of re-infection otherwise. Do you understand?”
“Aye, and Ah’ll be as careful as I can, Madame Flamel.” She nodded but the frown stayed upon her face. I raised an eyebrow at her. “Ye nae believe me?”
“That would depend, Monsieur. I noticed a number of scars across the length of your back that have long since healed but are nonetheless quite… striking.”
I glowered at her. Me scars were me own business. “With all respect, me scars are nae anyone’s business boot me own.”
She seemed unoffended by me curt tongue as she nodded. “As you like.” She looked around me side at Besom, who was staring at us. “Now, if you would be so kind as to ask Mademoiselle Harper to join me, please…?”
After the stabbing Besom endured, I was about to suggest it meself. I walked over to me beloved and said, “Yer new friend would like a word an’ a close look a’ yer stomach as well.”
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” As she walked past, she reached up and stroked me chin. “See you upstairs, bladesmith.”
I was startled by her comment and the barely hidden overture included therein. True to her nature, me Besom didnae repeat herself but offered me a smile that told me everything I needed to know. Her failed guardian angel was attempting to restrain his own amusement at me confusion.
“As long as we ain’t all subject to the lip banging, that’s all I ask,” the angel grumbled.
“The whit bangin’?” I insisted.
“When a couple starts making out more furiously than’s called for an’ right in front o’ everyone else,” he responded with a shrug. I felt me cheeks color which caused me to clear me throat. Besom looked upon me and laughed. ‘Twas a sound I had direly missed.
After Perenelle checked me Besom’s stomach and announced she was as healthy as healthy could be, Perenelle showed us to our room upstairs. We ascended the top floor where three separate rooms on the left had closed doors. Perenelle opened the nearest door, the one on the right, as soon as we came closer. Inside was a simple bed and a nightstand with a wash basin full of water sitting upon it.
“I am quite certain you two would like some privacy to get reacquainted,” Perenelle said with a
devilish glint to her eyes.
I said naething but Besom smiled as she dropped her face and I noticed a reddish hue staining her lovely cheeks. The grin stayed upon her face as she escorted Perenelle out and locked the door behind her. I placed me blade next to the nightstand and couldnae understand the butterflies that suddenly plagued me stomach. I turned to face me Besom as she placed her own blade beside the doorframe. Then, her eyes moved to me chest.
“How’s your back?” she asked.
I nodded. “Madame Flamel—”
I couldnae finish me sentence because Besom began pulling up her leather tunic and bared her breasts as casually as I might wipe me brow.
“Actually, they call her Lady Flamel down here,” she corrected me but I couldnae say I was actually paying attention. Instead, me eyes fastened themselves to her perfect breasts as the butterflies in me stomach began in double time.
“Thine eye discover quickly, that whereof thy thought is dreaming…”
-Dante’s Inferno
TWENTY-THREE
TALLIS
Besom’s areolas pointed at me like fingertips. The heat rising from her body gave me a good idear what was to come next and the rising of me todger was me body’s answer.
“Ah moost admit, Besom, Ah’m a mere man an’ cannae, fer the life o’ me, remember whit in blazes we were talkin’ aboot.”
Besom laughed and approached me, running her fingertips down me chest. She pushed her breasts against me skin and was careful to wrap her arms about me without disrupting the wounded flesh of me back. She inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes and I ran me fingers through her hair.
“I missed you so much, Tallis,” she whispered.
“Nae as mooch as Ah missed ye,” I said in a soft and low voice. I pulled her away from me so I could look down upon her lovely face. I brought me rough thumb down the line of her cheek as I just stared at her. “Ah dinnae know how Ah ever managed tae win yer love boot Ah’m the loockiest man fer doin’ sae.”
“Nae more talkin’,” Besom said, in a terrible rendition of me accent. She smiled up at me as I chuckled an’ watched her pull her breeches down the length of her legs. She stood before me then as naked as the day she’d been born and I felt myself swallow hard.
She reached forward and took me left hand, bringing it to the junction of her thighs. “You seem shy, Tallis,” she said as I mentally berated meself for nae taking control of the situation.
“Ah dinnae know whit’s come over me, lass,” I managed. “Ah feel nae like meself.”
She laughed and stood upon her toes as she stared into me eyes. “I can be in charge for once,” she laughed as she gripped the back of me head and pulled me lips to hers. I wrapped the hand that wasnae between her thighs ‘round her head and forced her mouth even closer as I thrust me tongue into her mouth and tasted her. Meanwhile, me index finger parted her lips and I felt the sticky wetness of her sex covering me finger.
I broke the union of our mouths as me todger damn near forced itself through me trousers. But there was a desire I had to sate before I gave me cock what it wanted. I said naething as I backed Besom against the wall and then placing me hands beneath her armpits, easily lifted her above me head, propping her against the wall.
“Tall…Tallis,” she started in surprise.
“Ah moost taste yer honey pot.”
“My what?” she laughed. I looked up at her and found her smile broad. “Don’t ever call it that again.” The giggle died upon her lips once I brought me mouth to her folds and separated them with me tongue. The taste of her was exquisite and I eagerly sucked upon her nub before bringing me tongue down to her entrance and forcing it inside. She gripped me head and moaned as I buried me face into her sex.
“Tallis, I want to see you naked,” she muttered between groans as she squeezed me head as though she were trying to pop it off me neck.
I brought her back down to the floor again and licked me lips, wanting to fill me mouth with every last drop of her. I pushed me fingers between the lips of her now drenched sex but she pushed me away and began to fumble with me breeches. I heard a growl start in me throat as I forced her back against the wall.
“Dinnae deny me whit Ah want.”
She closed her eyes as I forced me thumb against her clit and began rubbing her. She bucked when I pushed two fingers inside her as a loud moan tore from her mouth.
“Ye are sae tight, Besom,” I whispered as she rocked against me, grinding her hips into me hand as I fucked her with me fingers.
She opened her eyes then and looked right into mine, her moans quieting. Then she reached forward and pulled me closer to her, beginning to fumble with me trousers once again. A second later, she damn near tore them off.
“I’m ready for you,” she whispered as she looked down upon me engorged cock.
“Aye, ye’ve been ready for me,” I answered on a laugh, pulling me fingers from her dripping sex.
She sidestepped me then backed up to the bed before laying down upon it and spreading her legs wide. I couldnae remove me gaze from the pink folds of flesh between her legs and me todger stood out straight, leading the way. I settled meself between her legs and she was careful to wrap them ‘round me, below the whip abrasions upon me upper back. She lifted her pelvis, rubbing her wetness upon me throbbing cock.
“Lily,” I started but she shook her head.
“No more talking, Tallis, please,” she whined and pushed herself against me harder, trying to force me rigid cock inside her. But I pulled back.
“Ah want ye to know somethin’, ye wee hellcat,” I said upon a laugh.
“Tell me when you’re inside me,” she answered but I held her heads atween me hands sae she would see I was serious.
“Ah love ye, Lily Harper,” I said as her eyes widened slightly but before she could respond, I pushed the full length of me dick into her and she arched her back below me as she clenched her eyes shut. I pulled all the way out and then shoved meself back in again, reveling in the feel of her tight and wet passage.
After that, our bodies began moving on their own, settling into a rhythm that we both accelerated. ‘Aye, this was nae the first time I had experienced me Besom but ‘twas the first time we had ever been able to enjoy one another without the threat of danger looming in the background.
Back in the dungeon, I was too drained and weak to fully appreciate our coupling. But here, I could feel me Besom in all her unbridled glory. Ah didnae ever remember a joining that felt this incredible.
As I reached me climax, Besom wasnae too far behind. And rather than screaming, she latched her mouth onto me shoulder and howled into it. I felt me eyes shut tight as I forced meself into her as far as I could and me seed released from me cock, filling her womb.
As I collapsed upon her, utterly exhausted from our lovemaking, I nearly rolled onto me back. Besom grabbed me by the shoulder. “Tallis, your back!”
We shared another brief kiss and Lily glanced around me side to where she’d left her sword leaning upon the wall. She studied it for a few seconds before she returned her attention to me face again.
“Wha’s on yer mind, Besom?”
She looked back at me with concern still etched on her fair features. “When you made my blade, did you do anything special to it? Like enchanting it or something?”
I remembered the peculiar glow and form she’d encompassed at Gwydion’s tent. “Aye, Ah created a bonding enchantment that allowed yer blade tae be one with ye.”
She nodded but then frowned a bit. “Would that explain why the sword was able tell me where it was in Alaire’s castle?”
“Aye, mayhap,” I answered with a wee shrug. “When ye an’ yer sword are bonded, ‘tis as though yer sword is another of yer appendages—as mooch a part o’ ye as is yer hand or yer foot.”
She nodded but still appeared perplexed. “But how was my sword able to turn me into a warrior princess back there and I think… I was glowing?”
I knew she wouldnae like me a
nswer for it was nae much of an answer at all. “Ah wish Ah knew, Besom.”
The smile returned to her face and she stroked me cheek. She kissed me nose and then me mouth while her hand continued caressing me. “I guess all that matters is that you and Bill are alive.”
“An’ that ye are alive, me love.”
She smiled down at me. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this side of you.”
“Whit side?”
“The loving, caring side,” she giggled. “I’m used to the brooding, rude and private bladesmith I fell in love with.”
I chuckled. “Are ye complainin’, lass?”
“No!” she said as she tickled me which failed as I amnae ticklish. “I love this side of you,” she finished as she kissed me nose again.
Now ‘twas time for me to ask some questions of me own. “Did ye have any notion that ye was fightin’ the Head Duke o’ the Malebranche?”
Her eyes went wide with shock. “That’s who I was up against? That white demon with the tail?”
“Aye.”
“Wow. He just disappeared into that portal.”
“Aye,” I nodded again. “Bloody bastard.”
“Where did it go?”
“Ah dinnae know fer certain. Somewhere within the Underground City, Ah reckon.” I was quiet for a moment. “When ye were battlin’ Malecoda, the duke, yer body changed as though ye werenae the same Besom as ye are now.”
She was quiet for a few moments. “I could see myself glowing but I didn’t realize I actually looked different.”
“Aye, ye changed shape. Ye werenae say tall nor thin. An’ yer face was also different.”
She looked at me nervously. “Was I as… attractive as I am now?”
I ran me fingers down the side of her face. “Ye are always beautiful tae me, Besom, nae matter whit ye look like oan the outside.” I touched her heart. “’Tis whit’s inside here that made me love ye nae yer bonny face.”
