by Tom Gallier
Alex looked around. None of the rooms were numbered that he could see. No writing on the walls or doors.
“Second door on the right,” another officer said. “From the entrance.”
“Hold them,” Alex said, and took Ramy and Naar to room two.
The door was locked, so they kicked it in. Alex found Tiana bound to a chair. And the three nobles from the tavern stood over her. And then he noticed Tiana’s bloody nose.
“You cowardly goat fuckers!” Alex screamed, and charged inside.
The leader of the nobles met him halfway. Alex parried his first thrust, and then tried to get him with the backstroke. The nobleman ducked under that attack, and drove his shoulder into Alex’s abdomen. They went down, grappling and cursing. He heard blades clashing all around. And then he smashed a knee up between his foe’s legs.
“Take that, you craven pig,” Alex snarled.
He released his hilt, letting the sword clatter to the stone floor. Then he seized the nobleman’s head with both hands, and started twisting. Twisting. Twisting until he heard a dull snap, and his foe went limp.
Snatching up his sword, Alex charged into the nobleman backing Ramy toward the door. A thrust into his ribs, followed by a savage twist and yank out, dropped the nobleman to one knee. Ramy sheathed his sword into the man’s chest.
“Help Naar,” Alex said, and raced over to Tiana. She was struggling with her bindings, cursing in multiple languages. “Hey, baby, miss me?”
She froze, jaw dropping. And then she smiled. “I did! What took you so long?”
“You’re so popular, everyone tried to keep you for themselves,” he said. “I had to kill a lot of men to get to you. Totally worth it.”
She gave Alex a look that took his breath away. Helene looked at him like that once, right after he saved her from a mugging. But Tiana’s eyes held so much more passion. Yeah, she was going to reward him very well.
Pulling his belt knife, Alex made short work of her rope bindings. She threw her arms around his neck, kissed him, and then rushed over to a table pushed up against the wall. All of her weapons lay spread out atop it. While she armed up, Alex helped Ramy and Naar finish off the last nobleman.
The watchmen out in the street started pounding on the door. Alex felt the time slipping away. He urged Tiana to hurry, but she had to go over and kick each of the dead men. And spit on them after taking their purses. He’d never seen her looking so angry.
“Let’s get out of here,” Tiana said. Once out in the main room. “I’m giving each of you ten gold suns for coming back for me.”
The watchmen outside hit the door with something big and heavy. Battering ram? Alex didn’t want to stay and find out. The next strike cracked the door’s thick wood.
“Back to the roof,” he said. Tiana gave him a questioning look. “We have a ride waiting topside, my love.”
“Flup-flup?”
“Not exactly,” Helene said, and took off running up the stairs.
Nicanor followed fast on her heels. Naar, Ramy, and Alex waited for Captain Tiana to head up ahead of them. She didn’t waste much time. The run up to the roof left Alex winded, but exhilarated.
“Mount up. Naar you’re on the back rope. Helene, do your magic, babe,” Alex said.
Helene gave him a sultry look. Nicanor noticed, and glared daggers at both of them. Alex shook his head.
One step forward, two back, he thought.
Nicanor got further frustrated when Tiana sat behind Helene, and wrapped her arms around the witch in a very familiar way. Helene giggled at what the captain whispered in her ear. Nicanor sat behind Tiana, but got his hands batted away when he tried to hold onto her waist. Ramy decided to help Naar with the rope.
Helene cast her lift spell, and the timber began rising. Alex started pulling as soon as it cleared the ground. And then he leapt over the side, dangling from the rope as it sailed out into the street beyond. The timber slowly dropped until Alex had boots on the ground again. And the three pirates took off running, speeding up the timber as they went.
Watchmen pursued.
They flew down those narrow, twisting streets so fast that Ramy and Naar were slung around quite a bit. The back end of the timber crashed into and shattered shutters, toppled small carts, and caused quite a bit of collateral damage all the way to the docks.
Once on the docks, Helene brought it to a landing. And then they raced up the docks to Wraith. Captain Tiana ran up the gangway to the cheers of the crew.
“We have to abandon Gentle Breeze, so get her crew over here now!” Tiana shouted. “Prepare to cast off, Nakato! Helene, get us in the air as soon as Gentle Breeze’s crew boards!”
Faster than Alex thought possible, Wraith lifted up above the city. Bells clanged, men raced around on the docks. Total chaos reigned below, but everyone on Wraith sang a little shanty as they worked. Ah, a pirate’s life.
Chapter 21
Alex leaned on the rail and watched Port Xerses shrinking away below. He half expected them to send warships after Wraith. But no ships or boats rose up in pursuit. Tiana stood on the sterncastle, just in front of the mizzenmast, shouting orders. Alex wanted to call it a poopdeck, but no one in the crew liked that.
As best he could tell, they were headed due north. Not the direction he wanted to go, but now wasn’t the time to suggest they head west. Tiana never really liked to discuss Princess Thaleia. She just wanted to chase down merchantmen and sack them.
“You certainly are good at making enemies,” a dark, exotic beauty said, sidling up so close he felt her body heat. “But then, we’re only as good as our enemies. Right?”
It was dark, with the moon rising on the horizon. It took Alex a moment to figure out who that busty, dark-skinned, black-haired beauty was, but then he noticed the black leather eye-patch over her left eye.
“Hello, Qinny,” he said. “I don’t know who I made enemies with today, unless you mean those jackwads down in Port Xerses.”
She smiled, displaying the brightest white teeth he’d ever seen. Alex thought of her as an Indian woman, but India didn’t exist on that world. The shapely, black-maned beauty called herself an Ourani. She wore a bright gold halter and loose red satin pants stuffed into boots. She had her knee-length black hair pulled back in a thick braid that made him think of Princess Jasmine from the animated movie. A curved sword rode her left hip, and she wore a ton of jewelry. The missing eye didn’t diminish her sultry beauty in the least.
She was also Wraith’s witch doctor. Like Helene, she had lots of magical tattoos. He assumed they all had to do with medical procedures. But he noticed one that looked odd. A small tattoo of a knot was hidden inside the hairline behind her ear. He’d never have noticed it if not for her braided hair and the moonlight hit it just right.
“Nicanor is down in the hold cursing Helene out because of you,” she said in her deep, husky voice. Qinny bit her lip, wagged her brows. That’s when he noticed her remaining eye was green. “Did you really tumble her in a hayloft in Port Xerses?”
“A gentleman doesn’t tumble and talk,” he replied, giving her a wink. She giggled, which coming from a pirate always surprised him. Tiana even giggled at times. “Ask Helene.”
“I will, and she will tell me everything,” Qinny said. “We’re very close. As in two or three threesomes a week.”
Alex did a double-take on her. Her grin intensified, and the sexiest mischievous look spread across her face. She looked him over like he was the sweetest piece of candy, and she was starving to death. Yeah, he got a little tingle down there.
Qinny pressed up close, and she rubbed her perky young boobs against him. His breath caught when her hand grabbed him firmly between the legs.
“You wanna?” she whispered, voice dropping an octave. “I want you so bad I ache all over.”
He glanced back at Tiana, who was in a heated discussion with Nakato.
“Forget her. I’m right here and ready to go,” Qinny said, now stroking his rising shaf
t through his pants. “She doesn’t care. Tiana has slept with every man and woman on this ship. She’s insatiable. And she won’t begrudge you a sweet little tumble with me.”
He had that impression as well. Tiana hadn’t hooked up with anyone else since they paired off. But she didn’t appear the least bit put out by him hooking up with Helene earlier, either. And, in just his short time on Wraith it did look like everyone enjoyed open relationships. Well, Nicanor didn’t seem that keen on sharing Helene.
Qinny rose up on her toes, kissed the corner of his mouth, and wagged her brows.
“Come. I want to show you something special I think you’ll enjoy.”
The witch pulled Alex from the rail by the hand, heading for the hatch down into the hold. But then Tiana moved up to the rail overlooking the main deck. Everyone stopped and waited.
“My friends! I’m feeling blessed tonight,” Tiana said. “I’ve ordered Nakato to bring up a barrel of wine. Tonight, we celebrate our lives and freedom!”
A cheer went up. Qinny left him, racing toward the main hatch, and vanished down it in a flash. Alex just stood there blinking after her a long moment, before turning in a circle to watch all the activity. They were furling the sails. Why? That would bring the ship to a stop, leaving it adrift on the winds. Helene’s magic kept it from tipping over. He wasn’t sure capsizing was applicable to a flying ship. But then Tiana appeared out of the darkness and pressed up close, one hand stroking his butt, the other coming up to cup his face.
“Sorry about ruining your fun with Qinny,” she purred. “That little vixen is amazing in bed. She’s got sex magic.” She rose up and kissed him. “But we’ll make our own magic under the stars tonight.”
Nakato and another mate came up, carrying a large barrel. They placed it before the mainmast, broke open the top, and each dipped cups inside before walking away. The pirates all hurried forward with their own cups. Many of them carried their tin cups on their belts. A habit Alex hadn’t taken to yet. Even Tiana had a cup hanging off her belt.
“Drink up, my friends! Tonight we throw caution to the wind and celebrate life,” she shouted. “Tomorrow, we’ll be back on the hunt!”
They cheered and danced. A few pirates brought up musical instruments and began playing jaunty little tunes. Alex swirled Tiana around, and then they joined a line dance with Helene, Naar, Myrrine, and Nakato. Alex quickly learned the steps, and they were off. After a few dances, Tiana found him a cup, they filled them with wine, and retired to a spot next to her cabin door. She pulled him to the deck and straddled his lap.
“Tonight, I celebrate the freedom you gave back to me,” she said, and kissed him passionately. “Thank you for coming back for me.”
“Surely you knew I wouldn’t leave you behind,” he said. “You’re my girl now. And don’t forget Helene, Nicanor, Naar, and Ramy. They helped save you, too.”
“I know, and I’ll reward them handsomely for that,” she said, while untying her skimpy top’s fastenings. After pulling it off and tossing it away, she smiled down at him. “But I know it was you. They would’ve left me to my fate. Hell, I would’ve left me to my fate. But for some reason you inspired them. They followed you. It was for you they saved me.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Alex said. “Nicanor, for one, hates me. He was only there because of Helene.”
She sat up straight and slanted a hostile look back at Nicanor. He was sprawled out on deck with Helene over on the port side. Helene was naked, and bouncing up and down on his cock. His face was a mask of bliss and he enjoyed her efforts while fondling her bouncing boobs.
Lucky bastard, Alex thought.
“Be careful around him, Alex,” Tiana said. “Nicanor is a viper. He can’t be trusted.”
“I’m not worried about him,” he said. “He knows you’d kill him if he did anything to me.”
He was only joking, but Tiana nodded. “I may toss him over the side anyway. He never was my man. His loyalties lie elsewhere.”
That was an odd thing to say. But then she pulled his hands to her naked breasts, and started kissing him. Alex lost himself in the beautiful redhead. Their hands roamed, explored, and soon their passion erupted and their remaining clothes went flying.
“You’re the best, baby,” Alex growled, kissing a line down her neck.
He kissed his way down to her breasts, and smothered them with kisses. He started kissing his way down her belly to really give Tiana what she loved the most, but then she stopped him.
“Not tonight, my savior,” she purred. Tiana rolled him onto his back. “Tonight is for you. I’ll do anything and everything you want. You just have to lay back and enjoy.” She took his head in both hands, staring intently down into his eyes. She looked deadly serious. “You saved my life, so it is yours.”
Wow. I knew she was intense, but… Wow.
Tiana kissed her way down his body, licking and nuzzling. She quickly had him squirming, gasping. And then she wrapped long, delicate fingers around his throbbing shaft. Holding his eyes in a gaze he felt all the way into his bones, Tiana slowly swirled the tip of her tongue around his sensitive head. And then she went down on him.
“Hello!”
Wraith’s three lift witches weren’t the only ones who did magic on that ship. Tiana’s lips and tongue performed magic, too. She had Alex crying out, gasping and clutching her silky red hair. But nothing could stop her once Tiana set her mind to something. She had him writhing, gasping in nothing flat.
“Say my name,” she commanded, and went back down on him.
She bobbed up and down, working her lips and tongue to perfection. Alex’s body throbbed with pleasure. He tingled inside and out as she pushed him closer and closer, but then she let up. Left him dangling so close. So close.
“Say. My. Name.”
“Tiana,” he gasped out. “You are Tiana.”
She bobbed a few more times. “Louder.”
Her hand wrapped around his nutsack, squeezing and stroking. At the same time, her mouth swallowed him all the way to his base, taking him down her throat. Alex’s back bowed, and then he thrust up as if he could get any deeper.
“Tiana,” he called.
She pulled off, nuzzled his ball sack.
“Louder!” she demanded. “Scream my name.”
Tiana went down on him again, wrapping her lips around his base. That was more than Alex could take. His body erupted in perfect pleasure, and his seed shot out to flood her throat. The most amazing waves of orgasmic pleasure radiated out to every corner of his mind and body.
“Tiana! Tiana!” he screamed.
The redheaded pirate sat up, licking her lips with a look of satisfaction on her face.
“I win. I made you scream my name first,” she said, and laughed.
“Damn.” But he laughed too. “I don’t know if I can compete with Nakato.”
She giggled. “Don’t worry. You can. Now, don’t move. I’ll go get my magic oil.”
He reached out to stop her, but then someone climbed out of the hold. He did a double take on Qinny, who was already pulling off her top as she struck a sassy strut straight towards him. She veered over to starboard, but then stripped out of her pants and boots. The witch doctor stood there, legs wide, and stared at Alex with a hungry green eye, while her fingertips stroked a red heart tattoo where her pubic patch should’ve been.
Is that a sex magic tattoo?
Tiana followed his eyes, arching a brow. Alex remembered why he stopped her.
“Not necessary,” he said, reaching over to his sword belt. He pulled the purse off, and fished out the ruby red cock ring. “I got something that will do the job just fine.”
Tiana plucked it out of his hand and held it up to examine. He breathed a sigh of relief. That distracted Tiana before she figured out Qinny was trying to lure him away.
“Isn’t this Helene’s cock ring?”
He didn’t expect her to know about that. Was there anything Tiana didn’t know about her crew
?
“Maybe.”
The redheaded beauty glanced at Qinny.
“Tell me, do you want a threesome with Qinny?” she asked. Her eyes cut over to Helene, still riding Nicanor hard. “Or with Helene?”
He almost blurted out, What about Nakato? Yeah, he wasn’t that stupid. Tiana won the bet, but she was ready to let him choose their third.
“Well, Helene’s occupied.”
Tiana studied him a long moment, and then she waved Qinny over. The exotic witch moved up with sensuous grace. Tiana offered her lips, and Qinny never hesitated. She leaned over and their lips melted together, pulling low moans out of both women. Alex gawked up at them. Why was it so sexy, so damned sensuous, when two women kissed? They seemed to savor every second in a way men could not.
Tiana whispered something in the witch’s ear. Qinny nodded, and they kissed again. Then she surprised Alex by walking away. She went straight over to Helene and Nicanor. Alex’s jaw dropped when she lay beside Nicanor, and started kissing him.
“So, you win and Nicanor gets a threesome?”
“Shhh, trust me,” Tiana whispered as she slipped the enchanted cock ring down his shaft. Once it was snuggled in nicely, she tapped it three times and softly spoke a word. Heat flowed through his genitals, and Little Alex rose up quickly. “Who do you think gave this cock ring to Helene?”
Tiana shifted around. Alex grinned, knowing what she wanted. Tiana loved 69 more than any woman Alex ever met. Hell, she loved getting eaten out as much as he loved getting BJs. It was the perfect position for them.
Alex nuzzled her sex, rubbed his face all over it, and then began licking and sucking on her fleshy folds. Tiana loved it when he paid her nether lips attention. Hell, she’d taught him exactly how she liked it, and he was an eager student. It wasn’t long before she started grinding her pussy into his mouth, while moaning and groaning.
For some reason she did not go down on him. It was kind of distressing and distracting. But then he felt warm lips press against his nutsack, followed by a long, slow lick up the underside of his shaft. And it wasn’t Tiana.
