by M J Marstens
We must move forward.
ANISE
I’m clutching Graham’s hand hard and breathing even harder.
Are we really going to do this?
Graham somehow led us out of the forest to the Briny Divide and even located the rickety bridge going across. It looks unstable at best. Unpassable at worst. But I can feel the steely determination in my stepbrother. He’s made our decision. There’s no going back there. Just the thought of Mari waking up and finding us gone has me stepping onto the bridge. Graham tries to stop me, but I know, in this case, I must be the leader.
Step after step after step we walk. Slowly, tediously. Trying to be cautious and quiet. Hopefully, the brackishes are sleeping and we won’t be bothered. When I look back, I can’t see Graham, but I can sense his presence. Even though I’m leading, I can feel his quiet and steadfast strength, urging me on.
I reach out with my foot first to make sure there’s a plank to walk on before stepping forward. In retrospect, this might be the most foolish thing we have ever done. Second only to us accepting this quest from King Umami.
After what feels like forever, a faint glow fills the gorge, the first light of dawn. It illuminates enough for me to see how close we are to the other side and how truly lucky we have been. This bridge has seen better days. I rush forward, still carefully, but with surer steps, now that I can see. I’m careful not to look down; I’m afraid I might cry out or puke. I get to the end and scramble onto land once more. Tears blur my vision as I hold out a hand for Graham to take.
We did it.
My heart feels ready to burst when I see Graham smiling at me; he reaches for my hand just as a monstrous roar rends the air. Out of nowhere, a giant black brackish charges up from the abyss and right at Graham. I grab his hand and yank, but the brackish sinks its teeth into Graham’s leg and tugs back. His cry of pain fills the air and freezes me cold. I hear other brackishes responding to the call of the one attacking my stepbrother. Soon, we will be swarmed and burned.
Perhaps even eaten.
Suddenly, anger consumes me.
I have not gotten this far to be eaten by an overgrown lizard.
I take my bag full of Mari’s potions and swing them at the brackish’s head. The glass clinks together at the collision, but both the dragon and the vials seem unfazed. I try again, only harder, and this time I hear the bottles break and the brackish releases Graham’s leg. With a fiery roar, the brackish plummets into the canyon below, the contents of the bag exploding in its mouth, where the string of the sack has snagged on its tooth.
I pull Graham on top of my body and try to concentrate. The thrill of his naked, heavy weight against me sends a tingle to my center. Graham’s harsh breathing and shuddering body bring me into focus and I manage to slip out from beneath him. Not stopping to look at him, I drag him away from the Briny Divide. Brackishes won’t go far from their nests. We will be safe if I can get away from the canyon’s ledge.
But Graham is huge.
And I’m small and frail in comparison.
Mari didn’t feed us well.
But my fear must give me strength because I succeed in pulling my stepbrother a good enough distance away. Then, I check on him. He’s unconscious and his breathing is shallow. When I look at his leg, my heart stops. Torn open from the brackish’s teeth, it’s also burnt from where the dragon’s fire kissed it. Tears fill my eyes and spill over and I throw my trembling body over Graham’s hoping, somehow, my love will fix him.
If only I hadn’t thrown all the potions at the brackish!
I toss my head back to scream to the heavens when a faint pink glow catches my eye. It takes my mind a moment to place it and I realize: it’s Sugarland! For a moment I’m torn. If I run quickly, I can get help. Sugarland is infamous for its magic. Surely someone there can help my stepbrother! On the other hand, I loathe leaving Graham alone. What if the brackishes do decide to leave the divide? My indecision only lasts a second. Graham needs help now if he’s to survive.
I’ll just have to have faith.
With that, I get up and dash into the pink haze.
The minute I cross into Sugarland, everything changes. The scenery becomes brighter, happier. The air is crisper, sweeter, and cleaner. It’s like a drug. I’m high off this place instantly and never want to leave, a dangerous thought since I must return for Graham. I race down the multi-hued path. It looks to be made of melted candies. I shake myself mentally. Focus, Anise. Get help. With this, I open my mouth and really talk for the first time in two years.
“Help!” I cry.
It sounds weak and pathetic, even to my own ears; but with each shout, my voice gets stronger and stronger. I revel in its loudness.
I’ve missed talking.
Singing.
Shouting.
Living.
I finally feel alive.
I open my mouth to yell again but run into someone instead. Strong arms reach out to steady me and I stare up into the stranger’s handsome face. He’s even taller than my stepbrother and where Graham has golden skin, this man’s flesh is a dark sepia. In contrast, his eyes are a light green and his hair is more purple than my eyes. In short, he’s a gorgeous specimen of muscles and strength. Peeking around him, I see little fuzzy, green things with purple bow ties cutting up wood.
I realize the man is shirtless and sweaty and there’s an ax at his feet.
“Are you alright?” he asks in a deep and worried voice.
“No,” I state, finally collecting myself.
I flip my braids back over my shoulders and feel his gaze lock with my collar, recognition flaring in his eyes.
He sucks in a breath, fingering it, before demanding. “Where did you get this?”
“I didn’t get it; it was put on me by a monster, but I have bigger problems. Will you please help me?”
His touch lingers on the red cherries etched into the leather collar imbued with Mari’s magic, but he nods his head in agreement. I tell him about Graham and instantly, the stranger is all action. He calls to the little furry men in a language I’ve never heard before and they rush off in my stepbrother’s direction.
“Don’t worry. They’ll collect him for me and bring him back. Luckily, you have bumped into the right person, Sugarplum. The bark from a plum tree is medicinal. Coupled with my healing touch, your friend should be just fine.”
I sag against him in relief and only then realize I’m naked, plastered against this gorgeous man. I feel myself blush and hear his chuckle.
“Let me find you some clothes,” he accurately guesses.
He disappears into the copse of trees and I try not to fret. I’m not a child. I don’t need someone to always hold my hand. But spending two years in Mari’s clutches has left me broken and unsure. Thankfully, the man returns quickly. Over his arm is a beautiful purple dress, just a shade lighter than my eyes, and a delicious looking plum in his hand, a shade darker than my eyes. Carefully, he helps me dress and then tenderly feeds me the plum.
It’s sooooooooooooo good!
I can’t remember the last time I had real food, instead of the gruel Mari called sustenance.
And something sweet and juicy, too.
I slurp it up hungrily.
Happily.
I even laugh from time to time, as I eat the fruit from the stranger’s hand.
It’s not until I hear his low groan that I realize I’m licking the dripping nectar from his fingers. I blush again. I fear my embarrassment can’t grow any worse when I feel a tingle prick all over my skin. Oh no, please don’t let me soil myself! Mari used a spell to keep everyone’s bodily functions regulated. I don’t know if her spell has released or not. But I don’t wet myself.
Instead, something miraculous happens!
My sunken-in stomach starts to expand until I can’t see my ribs anymore through the material of the dress. My hips widen, too, as does my backside, and my poor deflated breasts return to their former plump glory from before Mari drained me
of my youth and good looks. My skin reclaims its glow and I feel whole and complete once more. I look in wonder at the man cradling me in his lap and he laughs.
“It was the plum,” he explains. “All of the fruit in my sugarplum grove is imbued with healing properties, but this one was the most special. I was saving it for the right occasion.”
His crooked smile and reassuring manner put me at ease and I run my hands over my arms in fascination. It feels marvelous to be myself again. I look back at the man, who’s staring at me intently. I can feel his curiosity and it makes me nervous.
“What’s your name?” I blurt out to distract him.
He grins like he knows my every thought.
“Plumpy.”
ANISE
I wrinkle my nose. What a terribly unsuitable name. This man is so far from plump, it’s not even funny. He looks like he’s made of steel, covered in muscles and satin-smooth skin. Maybe it’s his nickname because he’s a plum grower?
Again, Plumpy looks amused.
Can he really read my mind?
“No,” he denies. “I can read your face. It’s more open than a book.”
I frown.
I don’t want to be an open book. Open books are vulnerable, but Plumpy teases my frown into a smile.
“Much better. And what’s your name?”
“Anise.”
Once more, intrigue and curiosity war in Plumpy’s eyes.
I’m afraid of the recognition I find there and like a coward, I turn the conversation once more back to him.
“Why are you called Plumpy?”
I immediately realize how rude this sounds and rush to apologize, but Plumpy shushes me with his finger.
“You didn’t offend me, sugarplum. My full name is Damson Plumsley, but Plumpy is my nickname. It’s for my fetish,” he explains with a wink.
I almost choke on my spit.
“Fetish?” I sputter like a ninny.
“Mm-hmm. I have a thing for plump women,” he says in a low and seductive voice.
I feel my face fall into another frown. Although Plumpy’s plum has filled me incredibly, no one would really call me ‘plump’. Curvaceous, maybe, if they were a generous soul. Why I’m so disappointed not to be this man’s type is baffling to me and I shift to get out of his lap, but Plumpy holds on tightly.
“I think you’re perfectly plump,” he growls into my ear and I feel wetness bloom between my legs.
I squirm in embarrassment.
After living two years under Mari’s sexual depravity, my body has learned how to respond appropriately, but there was always a disconnect between my body and my brain. And even from my heart, but I feel a little jolt everywhere when Plumpy expresses his interest in me as a woman. I feel everything inside of me ignite and light up, as if in anticipation, but for what, I don’t know. Plumpy suddenly grasps my chin and tips my head up, looking deeply into my eyes.
His lips curl up into another knowing grin before he leans down and kisses me.
It’s soft and gentle, and so, so sweet.
Exactly how I always dreamed my first kiss would be.
O
PLUMPY
I kiss the mystery girl senseless.
Against my better judgment, I reconcile my intense need to possess her, with my desire to protect her. With the magical collar around her neck, Anise needs all the protection in the world. Unfortunately, I’m not the man for the job; an acknowledgement that makes my insides churn. Anise needs someone more powerful than me to break this spell. Eventually, I will have to let her go, but for now, at this moment in time, she’s mine.
She tenses in my lap, and I can literally taste the fear rolling off of her.
Yet, in equal measure, I can taste her want.
It’s unlike any flavor I’ve sampled before.
She tastes fresh.
Innocent.
Untried.
Which is a ridiculous thought considering she came to me naked, but I know with a certainty this girl is pure innocence. I lick my tongue over the seam of her lips and she gasps, effectively inviting me into her mouth. There, I sweep my tongue inside and suck hers. Anise is whimpering and gyrating in my lap. I doubt she realizes what’s she doing, like when she licked the plum juice off my fingers.
But I know.
And it’s driving me insane.
Who knows how long I punish her mouth with mine.
One minute.
Two minutes.
An eternity.
I could have easily stayed like this, but just as Anise unfurls her legs and wraps them around my waist, I hear the Dragées returning. They are the gentle forest creatures tied to the Sugarplum Groves. Hairy little balls of green fur with big eyes and capable minds, Dragées are the guardians of the trees here. Fiercely loyal and ancient, they are adept at healing. It’s a talent they have taught to me, their Sugared Plum leader. I’m banking on their knowledge, and mine, to save the boy.
I gently break my kiss with Anise and when she finally opens her eyes to look at me, I’m rocked. Her lips are swollen, her cheeks are flushed, and her gorgeous lavender eyes are misted with a yearning that makes me ache to fill her pussy with my dick. I place a quick, hard peck against her mouth, our eyes still locked. It’s a promise that we have unfinished business.
I stand up and set her down just as the Dragées come into view, carrying a bloodied body.
Beside me, Anise lets out a muffled cry and sags against my body. I rub soothing circles on her back as I direct another Dragée to gather as many supplies as possible, as well as fresh water. He rushes off to do my bidding and I walk over to Mother Plum, the oldest sugarplum tree in the grove, where the Dragées have placed the boy. Once in the shade of the tree, I can see he is in bad shape. A brackish’s bite is venomous. Add in some third-degree burns, and it’s enough to send the body into permanent shock.
Hopefully, his wounds are fresh enough to heal, for I can see how dearly Anise loves this boy. I go to work pouring the bark extract over the seared skin and rubbing some plum skin on the weeping flesh. I note the youth is not nearly as skeletal as Anise had been. Clearly, he had been better fed and kept, but his body is scarred from the kiss of a whip. An intentional marking, if I were to hazard a guess.
Around the boy’s neck is a collar; it’s the same as Anise’s and I can feel its evil potency from here.
Nothing good can come from her having marked them.
I hear Anise make a sound and I turn my attention back to the task at hand. The boy’s body is basically healed. It’s only a matter of pushing out the venom from his insides. Together, the Dragées and I impel our magic until every last drop of poison has been eradicated. Only then do I slump down in relief, drained, but confident that I saved the boy’s life.
The chief Dragée comes over to feed me sugarplum root, a restorative. I perk back up about the same time the boy stirs. From her spot in the shade, Anise jumps up. The air crackles with her emotions. Fear, elation, and something a little more forbidden. I watch with interested eyes as she launches herself onto the naked boy, hugging him tightly to her. He rouses at her touch and opens his eyes.
“Anise?” he croaks.
“We made it. We made it. We made it,” she babbles over and over.
Knowing he’s going to be okay, I leave the two to find clothes for the boy. Although he is smaller than me in height, my pants and shirts should suffice. I come back to find him sitting up and Anise in his lap, similarly to how she was in mine not so long ago. A foreign emotion flits through my head. I can’t tell if it’s jealousy, regret, or a combination of the two, but I shake it off. I don’t know their story, but their collars tell me it will not be for the faint of heart.
“Here are some clothes,” I tell the boy, as I pull Anise from his lap.
And to my side.
For the first time, the boy really takes my measure, and I realize he’s no youth.
This is a man.
Just as Anise is a woman.
&nb
sp; “I’m Plumpy,” I introduce, holding my hand out to shake.
The boy snorts at my nickname, but shakes my hand, nonetheless.
“I’m Graham, Royal Ambassador to King Umami,” he answers imperiously.
I feel my eyebrows raise at this.
“From The Savory Citadel?”
“Yes, I am the king’s nephew.”
Ah, royalty.
“You didn’t tell me you were a princess,” I tease Anise, enjoying the pink flush that comes across her cheeks.
Graham frowns at my familiar manner with her.
“She’s not,” he snaps. “She’s a Royal Ambassador, too.”
“Are you not related to the king, too, then?” I ask Anise.
“He’s my step-uncle, although I view him more as a father figure.”
It dawns on me that Graham is her stepbrother.
“You’re siblings?” I can’t help but blurt out.
“Yes,” Graham says between clenched teeth and I mull over his apparent animosity.
The Savory Citadel heir clearly is in love with his stepsister but knows he cannot act upon it. Graham can’t have Anise, but he certainly doesn’t want anyone else to have her either.
Tough.
I thrust some sugarplum root at him harder than necessary.
“Eat this; it will restore your health,” I offer grudgingly.
Graham takes the proffered food and eats it slowly, meticulously.
Unlike how Anise ate.
I sense Anise watching him closely.
“It will work like the plum, but not to that degree. It’s not imbued with magic. Your brother merely needs to regain his strength, but you needed so much more,” I explain to her.
Anise’s purple eyes meet mine and I lose myself in them until I hear Graham begin to choke.
I look over, but his eyes are glued to Anise.
Or her body.
They bulge with surprise.
And a lust so intense, I’m afraid Mother Plum is going to catch fire.
GRAHAM
I feel my jaw drop.
Magic is uncommon in The Savory Citadel, but very common in Sugarland. In truth, I think it’s why my uncle wanted to broker a treaty so badly with Sugarland’s king. In exchange for potions, charms, and spells, and, of course, sweets, King Umami was prepared to share Umai extract, a very rare fermented sauce that can only be harvested in The Savory Citadel. It can make anything taste delicious.
