Guardian

by Amanda McLaren

  “…So she literally caused a sexual addiction to just her?” My mouth dropped as my cheeks flushed.

  San’s eyebrows rose in an ‘oh really’ look. “It’s actually a really intricate spell. Do you know where she learned it?”

  I shrugged. “The first time she used it we’d only known one another long enough to fight, get back to have the repenting ceremony and for her to help Quinn get me sickly drunk.”

  The Black Wolf shook her head in disappointment. “It doesn’t matter, I guess. The point is, the spell is advanced. I can’t completely erase the spell, but I can prevent her from using it against you like that.”

  “How?”

  “…Depends. Do you want to ever experience pleasure again?”

  “Yes…”

  “Then I’ll have to strip her magic and replace it with mine.”

  I nearly slugged her in the face. “Sanquility, what did I just say? What did you just promise me?”

  “What’s better, Kariken? Lyrea having control over it, or me replacing her magic it and leaving it alone? I won’t use it unless you want me to.”

  “Why would I want you to?”

  “Because if you think about it, used right it can be a whole lot of fun for the both of us. Of course, I would never use it to force you to want me like Lyrea does. I’ve been raped too, Kariken. I would never do that to somebody else.”

  “Then why do you want to do this?”

  “So you’re free of Lyrea.” She replied smoothly. “After all, our bond makes us want one another but her spell fights it. With the bond, you’re desires for me but inability to get anywhere will become torture. Since you don’t want Lyrea it just makes things worse.”

  “…Fine.” I murmured.

  I’m trapped either way. Why not choose the lesser of two evils?

  //I’m not as evil as you Templars assume, Kariken. Now let me in or continue your suffering. //

  Stuffing down the feeling of defeat and anger, I slowly let down my guards. “Why are you insisting on this happening?”

  “Lyrea is a problem I won’t tolerate. It’s my job to protect you and I’m doing just that. Since we’re married, I have every right to disagree with you having my sister as a lover, even if she wasn’t causing you all sorts of problems.”

  Taking my hand, she led me to the edge of the river, where we stripped while she kissed along my neck. Her hands danced along my entire body, touching everywhere, making me tingle with desire.

  “It’s just – oh – sex.” I leaned into San, stopping her hand on my boob. The Azhi massaged it roughly before pinching a tit.

  “No, it’s rape.” Sanquility told me firmly. “I won’t allow her to hurt you like that anymore. Give into me, and I’ll show you what sex is supposed to feel like.”

  What will stop her from doing the same thing as Lyrea?

  //Our bond will stop me, Kariken. Like it or not, I have feelings for you. I care about your wellbeing. As much as we both despise it, it is the truth, and that care will grow into a deep, unchangeable love. //

  The Azhi’s started to play with my clit. Even though she was teasing me so nicely, I couldn’t reach her to touch back. I reached back and managed to smack her ass. I felt her magic slip between Lyrea’s spell with grace and ease. My breath shook with both desire and fear.

  My breathing became shaky and shallow as San’s magic whispered into Lyrea’s.

  “Oh, gods,” I moaned. Sanquility gently bit my neck. “Harder,” I demanded, melting – burning. She slipped two of her fingers between my soaked lips as she bit just a little harder. “Fuck. Stop being so gentle.” I growled angrily. What little I could reach of her, I sank my nails into her butt hard.

  Her little surprised chirp was mixed with pleasure and pain, but damn it, it turned me on. So I did it again – harder. She bit twice as hard.

  “YES!” I grabbed the hand probing inside of me and forced her to move so hard it hurt so wonderfully. “Gods, yes! Just like that, Anshumali!”

  The more her magic twisted into Lyrea’s, the faster I made her go, but I couldn’t get enough. The Azhi removed herself and practically threw me down with a hungry growl.

  “You want it rough?” She snarled. “Fine. We’ll do this rough.”

  I needed something more – no, something different. I couldn’t take it; I began to rub and pinch and pull at my clit in desperation.

  More. I need more.

  Sanquility tried to get involved but I shoved her away. So she just watched for several minutes as I tried my best to do things myself. I couldn’t help it; I closed my eyes and imagined Lyrea.

  The image alone was enough to send me over the edge. I plunged my fingers in deep to ride it out as I dug my nails into my tits, screaming Lyrea’s name at the amazingly powerful feeling.

  Anshumali began to literally push and pull at the spell. Replacing it with her own magic. Panting, I opened my eyes to take her entire body in. The dark skin. The amazing amber eyes – they were so full of her anger, her lust, it was a completely different side of her.

  I loved it.

  My lover let herself fall to her knees, right before my spreading flower as her magic was rapidly chasing the last whisper of Lyrea’s from my mind. Her tongue flicked in and out of my honey pot, making me squirm with pleasure. She began to thrust three fingers in and out as deep and fast as she could. Combined with the growing control of her magic, it drove me to a stronger orgasm. I screamed her name over and over as my body shook with it.

  “More,” I panted huskily, my head swimming with magic and pleasure. I felt heady with it and the orgasms. “Please, Anshumali, give me more.”

  Instead, the magic began to ease into the back of my mind. Sanquility gently brought me down, slowly. By the time she sat up, I just simply lay there, sweaty, spent and confused.

  “You didn’t keep going…” I whispered in disbelief.

  “The only reason you wanted me so badly was the magic. If you still want more, I can keep going without the magic.” She replied quietly, running her hand through my hair. “Or we could get in the stream and bathe together. We could even cuddle if you wanted.”

  …I do need a bath…

  I got up slowly and slipped in. To my surprise, Sanquility became a huge black wolf and joined me like that. We bathed in silence, packed up the meat, mounted the Unicorn and went on our way. I had a lot to think about on that ride, so I was relieved by the quiet.

  I couldn’t get my mind off how she’d stopped using the magic.

  Perhaps she’s not lying. She’s already different than her sister. Maybe… sex with her will continue like this.

  I counted the ways they were different, and found the black wolf more favorable.

  Two days after Sanquility took control over Lyrea’s spell the clouds began to gather above our head and a fierce wind picked up. Around noon, the clouds broke to splatter us with a shockingly cold downpour.

  It was just our luck that it happened as we entered the foothills, meaning rockier, rougher ground to contend with. Wet stone and slithering mud weren’t my favorite traveling conditions. Half the time it was safer for our mount to travel at a normal horse’s speed, and there were times we were forced to walk.

  Finally the unicorn found us a rocky overhang that blocked most the rain and wind. He stopped there, allowing us to dismount. While Sanquility gathered firewood, I leaned against the overhang, shivering and drenched with nothing to do. My Azhi wife attempted to build a fire three times (even with her magic) before giving up. She growled at the sopping wet wood as if that would help as I huddled inside myself in an effort to keep warm and dry, to no avail.

  “We’ll fall ill if we don’t change out of these wet clothes.” San told me quietly.

  “Seishin flew off with all my cloths.” I couldn’t stop my teeth from chattering any more than I could stop the shivering.

  “I made new ones to fit you with the boar’s hide.” Sanquility shuffled around until she found warm, well-fitted outfit.
She helped me change, then suddenly became a wolf and curled up around me. I gave her gentle pat on the head.

  “I’m keeping you warm.” She informed me in a thick, exhausted accent.

  “Well that’s awful kind of you. Now let’s eat before mister gift from the gods wants to run off.”

  “Don’t mock an animal that willingly carried us and our supplies so far.”

  “Sorry Unicorn.”

  The animal met my eyes. A word flashed into my mind.

  “Well sorry,” I barked back.

  “What’d he say?”

  “Redemption.”

  Her tail wagged in good humor. “Somebody’s touchy,”

  “Who wouldn’t be in this rain? Redemption, why don’t you get a little closer? The overhang can’t shelter you much way over there.”

  Redemption cast his eyes over the wilds before snorting and taking a few hesitant steps closer. At least he was a little more sheltered. “Here; I saved some fruit. Have some.”

  I offered it to him. He gently nibbled it out my hand, clearly grateful for something other than cold, sodden grass.

  //You’re being awful nice to him all of a sudden. //

  “He’s cold, wet and hungry. I can sympathize with that. Besides, for a horse he isn’t too bad.”

  I removed a handful of the jerky and threw it to her. She sniffed it and laid her head on her paws. “If you don’t eat it, Sanquility, I swear I’ll refuse to eat until you’ve stuffed yourself.”

  The wolf glowered at me with her ears back. //We don’t have enough meat for that. //

  “Then I suggest you start eating, you stubborn oaf.”

  She gulped down the meat in two bites. //Done. Now you eat. //

  Smiling, I grabbed enough for myself before curling up next to her. She actually lay on top of me once I’d finished my food. It wasn’t long before I’d drifted off, only to have movement wake me in complete darkness. It was still pouring, and a deep cold had seeped into my bones from the wet. My lover was coiled up around me as a wolf; her even, deep breathing told me she was fast asleep. Redemption was nowhere to be seen.

  Then what moved?

  Trying to blink away the sleep, I sat up to have a look around. Sanquility leapt to her paws, shaking off the rain. The wolf gave a huge yawn.

  //It isn’t morning yet. What’s the big idea? //

  “Down doggie. Movement woke me up. I don’t see Redemption anywhere. Do you think something frightened him off?”

  //Unlikely. Unicorns ward off evil; they don’t run from it. Besides, he leaves shortly after we dismount. Now let’s find what moved. It could be dangerous. //

  “I’ll check it out. You go back to bed.”

  The wolf stretched herself, from nose to tail and wingtips. Her eyes gleamed like two setting suns even in this complete darkness.

  //I want to go with you. We don’t know what it is. //

  “Fine. But we’re going in separate directions.”

  //If you say so. //

  As she launched herself into the air I readied my whip to search the basic perimeter. It was so dark I did more tripping over myself and the uneven ground than searching for an intruder. The swish of air behind me made whirl. The shadows were shifting. I saw a flash of amber orbs.

  “San, I thought we agreed to search separately.”

  //We are. I went south of you. //

  “Then who-”

  Ten sharp silver claws and what felt like millions of knife-sharp teeth dug deep into my leg. Giving a shriek that would echo for miles, I kicked wildly at the beast as I collapsed onto the hard rock. Searing hot pain blazed through my head as the ground came up too fast. There was a screeching noise as the needles drove themselves deeper into my skin.

  A streak of fire streamed through the hard rain to slam right into a robust black shape mauling my leg. There was a terrible hissing sound before the beast ripped its claws out of my flesh.

  “FUCK!!!!” I howled as Ii grabbed my wounded limb as my face contorted in agony.

  Somewhere in this mess I’d dropped my whip.

  I could hear yelping, hissing, snarling – claws scraping the ground. Wings flapping. The shadows moved; amber eyes burned in the darkness. Grunting, I attempted to stand. Putting weight on the leg forced a wave of pain so unbearable I fell onto my side and vomited instantly.

  //DO NOT MOVE! Its claws and bite are toxic! /

  “So I just let you fight?!”

  //YES! //

  Balls of fire shot white hot through the rain. Half of them hit stone, displaying the beast’s speed. Then out of nowhere there was a soul-shattering scream. The air brushed passed me; I felt rough bristles as the enemy fled for its life.

  San’s form landed next to me. Her energy seeped in. Instantly the pain twisted into pleasure.

  “What the –?!”

  //Shut up! I’m healing you! //

  Then I was numb. So very numb. More and more of her magic washed into my body, until my mind swam with it. It reminded me of having too much to drink. Slowly, slowly, my mind was pushed into darkness.

  Sweet darkness.

  ~*~

  Anshumali could feel Kariken’s soul pulling into her; fading from the human’s body to be absorbed as her heart began to fail as the Templar feinted. Instantly she flooded her charge with a rush of so much healing magic the wolf’s head spun wildly, causing a torrent of pain and weakness to surface in the Azhi.

  She pulled her energy away.

  I tried. I could let her die. Her soul is being sucked in by our agreements.

  A strange, sickening feeling of dread made her whimper.

  Why? Why do I feel this way? She’s only a human!

  A human who has a sister who needs protecting…a human who could have killed me instead of offering her soul…a human warrior unlike any other.

  Damn it!

  Anshumali heaved herself up, ignoring the world spinning before her eyes.

  If I can’t let her die, I’ll need herbs! It’s like Basilisk poison – snakebite. I need…I need…

  Think, you dumb wolf!

  Snakebane – and Dragon’s Lace! Yes, those might work. They’ve worked for most snakebites.

  As Anshumali found the herbs as quickly as she could, she cursed their bond over and over again. She hated this; hated it with a passion.

  Does she even know how hard this is on me? I hate feeling like I’d rather die in her stead. Why do humans need this useless emotion? This need to help another at any cost? This desire to make her happy, to keep her safe no matter what, is getting in my way!

  Yet no amount of logic would stop the Azhi from collecting the plants. She found raspberry leaves to stop the bleeding, fireweed to ease the fever and blossoms of the blood rose for shock as well as Snakebane root and Dragon’s Lace petals for the venom. Then she knelt down and prayed to whatever gods still cared about her pleas that this stupid, stubborn human would make it through as she made this warrior medicine.

  ~*~

  When I tried to take in air it sent me into a coughing fit. My leg ached with an unfamiliar pain. Sanquility’s mind was nearly overwhelming my own, yet seemed somehow distant. I reached for her mentally, not daring yet to open my eyes. A shaky, clammy hand clasped mine. My mouth was dry. I was so hot; too hot.

  San wrapped her powerful arms around me. “Oh Kariken, let your fever break.”

  “Fever?” I asked weakly.

  “Kari?” Surprise openly flooded me; I flinched away from the onslaught of emotions. I couldn’t untangle them; my mind was already muddled. “Yes, my little warrior. You’re fevered. I can only heal so fast. Your body is fighting the poison. Do you understand?”

  I gave a single, painful nod. “D-don’t push yourself.” I told her weakly.

  “I will do whatever it takes to save your life. Forgive me, Kariken, but I command you to sleep.”

  There was a twinge of pain in my head before I slipped away again.

  So many more times I would wake like this.
San was always there; giving me water or medicine. Part of my mind wondered why she’d use tea and salves instead of her magic, but I would sleep again before I could think to ask, forced by her or the illness.

  When I woke without pain or nausea, without the feeling of being too hot and extremely cold – it was then that I saw Sanquility lying in full Azhi form. She was fast asleep, wings spread wide to a high noon sun. Herbs were lying all around her.

  Though there was no rain, I saw I was in my Temple clothing and a shelter had been erected. The outfit my soul-bound wife had made for me was drying by a blazing fire. As I sluggishly sat up, feeling weak and dizzy, I saw the long, horrible scars not just on me, but Anshumali as well.

  We’ve been here long enough to make a shelter?

  San’s eyes peeked open. She shot to her paws, became human and lavished me in the most wonderful kisses I’d ever tasted.

  “Slow – down – San –” I complained between them. When at last she gave me a moment to breathe I stopped her. “Okay. I get it.” I caught my breath. “How long have we been here?”

  “Three and half days.” There was exhaustion in her voice and eyes.

  My jaw practically fell into my lap. “You’ve been fighting poison for three and a half days?!”

  “Yes. I just don’t understand how a Mountain Sphinx’s venom could do this. It isn’t supposed to affect humans, and shouldn’t have affected me so harshly.”

  “…You’re kidding me, right?” I ground my jaw together at the thought.

  “No. The thing was wearing this strange amulet. I think it was altered by it.”

  “Are you saying somebody enchanted an ancient guardian of Mist Peak Village?”

  Sanquility sniffed the mixture and added a little more of several kinds of leaves. It took me a moment to realize they weren’t Temple standard; she’d found them herself. “Yes. The mountain Sphinx is a difficult animal to enchant. They’re bred to protect the priests.”

  “I’ve been there. I know.”

  San raised an eyebrow. “Is that the part of your personal journal you ripped out? There’s nothing in your record journal.”