by Sarah Bale
Lexi’s gaze dropped down to his engorged shaft and she smiled. “I’ve always wanted to be fucked against a tree…”
Ian replied, “And I am always one to oblige.”
He led her to a tree with a large trunk. She turned to him and helped her remove her skirt and corset. She threw her clothing down and gave him a smile that almost brought him to his knees. Her nipples stood erect and he wanted nothing more than to cover them with his mouth.
“Before we do this, I want to show you something,” she said, licking her lips.
He took off his shirt and pants so he was as naked as she was. “Show me what?”
Lexi smiled and leaned against the tree. She closed her eyes and ran her hand across her chest and then over her breast. When her fingers touched her nipple, she gasped and then rubbed over it again.
He watched as she played erotically with her breast. With her other hand, she slowly traced a path down her toned stomach to her pussy. She found her clit and rubbed it in a rhythmic pattern, grinding her hips in sync with the tempo.
He watched as the pace grew quicker. As her breathing became irregular, his did too. He reached down and stroked his cock, imagining it inside her warm pussy. Her body shook as an orgasm took over. She called out his name as she rocked her hips against her hand.
He was at her side before her body stopped shaking. He kissed her slowly, letting her know how much he appreciated her private show. Then he pulled away and turned her so that her chest pressed against the tree trunk.
He kissed her neck and whispered, “While I am fucking you, imagine the tree is my hands, touching you all over.”
She nodded and rubbed against the tree. A surprised gasp left her lips and she arched against the tree again and Ian grinned.
The trees in Sinoda were like no others. The bark appeared rough but in reality was as soft as velvet. When the wind blew, it felt just like using a vibrator.
A breeze caressed their skin and Ian could see the tree buzzing against Lexi’s nipples. She wrapped her arms around the tree and he could feel the vibrations against her skin.
“Yes,” she almost purred.
Ian ran the head of his engorged cock against her pussy and then entered her with a quick thrust. The force caused the tree to shake and he knew Lexi grew close to an orgasm. She met his thrusts and rubbed against the tree at the same time.
Together their bodies worked as one until they both climaxed. Leaves rained down on them as the tree seemed to share in their ecstasy. Ian raised his head and saw how blue the sky was. Everything in that moment was perfect.
Lexi turned her head and kissed him.
“I think I love you,” she sighed contentedly.
Chapter Five
Lexi closed her eyes as soon as the words left her mouth. Ian still throbbed inside her and didn’t say anything. Instead, he placed a light kiss on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He was silent as he pulled slowly out of her. He turned and gathered their clothing.
Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked them away quickly. It had been insane to say those words. She barely knew him. And lord, what did he think right now? She must have a head injury, which could be the only reason behind the madness she felt. Why else would she be proclaiming her love for a man she had met days ago?
It was more than that, though. She felt as if she were falling in love with him. The first time they had sex she had felt different afterward, as though a missing piece in her soul had been found. And just now, she had felt the same thing. Each time they had sex she felt more complete as well as a power growing deep inside and it was because of him.
Ian placed her clothing next to the tree and went to the stream to wash up. He was breathtaking as he kneeled at the stream and dipped water over his body. She moved a few feet away and quickly cleaned up as well.
She dressed and found a rock to sit on. Her heart pounded and she rubbed her temples. Now there was going to be awkward silence because she didn’t know when to keep her mouth shut. She debated telling him that she didn’t mean what she said, that she merely was caught up in the moment. Nothing that came to mind sounded right, though. Plus, she didn’t want to take it back. She had meant it…as crazy as it was.
A loud sound in the distance caused her to jump and she turned to see where it came from. Through the trees, she could see a small cabin made of metal. The sunlight reflected off it and caused a glare so bright that she held her hand up to shade her eyes. It looked like a beacon of sorts, which was strange since there had been no other houses along the way.
“Ian? Do you see that?”
He looked where she pointed and smiled.
“It’s Sully, the tin master. I forgot we were so near to his place. We should say hello before we pass through.”
She was reminded of the old west movies where they greeted people as they passed through their land. It might not be that farfetched though. Sinoda seemed more advanced than Oklahoma in some ways but in others, it was stuck in the past.
Ian strolled toward the small cabin and she followed silently. If he wanted to act as if she hadn’t said those three little words then she would play along too. It would save her from having to lie about whether she meant them or not and maybe…just maybe, he might be able to say them back to her.
As they drew near the house, she saw several sculptures made of tin. A sculpture of a giant bird with its wings spread in flight stood nearest to her. A broken chain hung from its neck. Symbolizing freedom? Her heart ached looking at the striking piece of art. Sully clearly had great talent.
“Sully,” Ian called out. “You have some visitors.”
A very tall, skinny man opened the door to the cabin. He wore a work apron that looked almost like tin. In fact, all his clothing looked like tin. She squinted as she looked at him.
“Ian. How good it is to see you. And who is this pretty lady?” Sully asked with a warm smile.
“This is Lexi,” Ian replied in a clipped tone.
She glanced at Ian from the corner of her eye. It almost sounded as if he were jealous. She smiled at the thought and then stuck her hand out.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
Sully kissed her hand. “The pleasure is entirely mine.”
He held onto her hand a moment longer than necessary. Ian cleared his throat and Sully let go of her hand with a wink. She resisted the urge to laugh aloud. Obviously she wasn’t the only one sensing Ian’s jealousy.
Up close, Sully was really a striking man but he wasn’t Ian.
Ian rolled his eyes as his friend held onto Lexi’s hand. He knew it was Sully’s way of seeing how he would respond. And he played right into his game but he didn’t want any man holding onto her hand. Ever. The thought caused his gut to clench but before he could think about what it meant, Sully spoke, “Do I need to prepare a room for the night?”
“No, we’re just passing through. We’re traveling to the palace.” He paused, not knowing how to say the next part. “We met some trouble earlier. Horace is no more.”
He watched as Sully took in the news. In the past, Sully and Horace had been close friends. When Horace aligned himself with the Witches, Sully stuck by him though it was clear Horace couldn’t be saved. Ian knew Sully always blamed himself for Horace’s mistakes. He could understand the guilt that went along with it too.
“He is no longer under the spell of the Witches. That is all I can ask for.” Sully finally replied. He bowed his head in silence for a moment before kissing his fingertips in remembrance. As he lifted his head, several looks passed across his face. “If Horace is no more, then I assume Lexi is the reason. The Witches would never let him go unless they were truly threatened. He was far too valuable to them.”
The thought had crossed Ian’s mind as well. They had been so willing to let Horace die when they had fought just as hard to keep him under their spell in the past. Leave it to Sully to notice the small details. It must be true then, that the Witches feared Lexi.
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He glanced at Lexi and saw that she took the news better than he thought she would. He stepped closer to her. For some reason he needed her to know he would protect her.
Sully made a clicking noise with his tongue and said, “Come. I have something that may help you reach Sapphire City in one piece.”
He led the two into his small cabin. Ian admired Sully’s art creations as everyone in the realm did but it was his weaponry that made him famous. Without his weapons, the Royal Guard would not stand a chance against the Witches and their minions.
They followed Sully to a room in the back of the cabin. From the floor to the ceiling different weapons, all made by hand, filled the room. It was the first time Ian had actually stepped foot inside the workroom and he was slightly in awe.
Sully went to a shelf against the back wall and pulled two weapons down. He handed them to Ian.
“You know how to use these, I presume?”
Ian looked at the weapons. In one hand, he held a gun loaded with liquid silver bullets, the only thing that could kill the Witches. In his other hand, he held a crossbow. The arrows had been dipped in liquid sliver as well.
He held the crossbow up and felt the quality of the metal.
Ian nodded. “Thank you, my friend. These will help greatly.”
He knew the risk that Sully took by giving him the weapons. If caught, the Witches would show no mercy.
As if reading his thoughts, Sully said, “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He looked out the small window in the room. “You need to leave now. You’re losing time and you need to make it out of the woods before nightfall. You know the dangers—”
He broke off his own sentence and Ian silently thanked Sully for not saying anything that would scare Lexi. The two shook hands and Sully hugged Lexi. He whispered something and she laughed, just as she had with Andrew.
Ian rolled his eyes and waited. He was getting tired of his so-called friends whispering things into his woman’s ear. His woman? His stomach clenched. Where had that thought come from?
Sully led the two out the back door.
“Take the south trail,” he said, waving goodbye.
Ian waved back and took Lexi by the hand. She glanced at him in surprise and he smiled. Hand in hand, they headed for the south trail.
* * * * *
“No!” one of the Witches screamed as she watched the two walking with their filthy hands entwined. “They’ll make it to Sapphire City if they take the south trail.”
The large crystal orb they looked into shook with the force behind her words and threatened to fall from its pedestal.
“Sully is going to pay for helping them,” the second howled.
“Sisters, there is no need to fret,” the third Witch said. She was the eldest of the three and they looked to her for guidance. Her tone was calm as she went on, “We will take care of the travelers and visit Sully on the way.”
The two cackled. Their sister always knew what was best.
“Come, we must move ahead of them. We’ll need help from others, whether they are willing…or not.”
The three Witches left their stone castle. They chanted a spell as they flew through the air and were soon standing at Sully’s house. He worked silently on a sculpture with his back to them and they wanted nothing more than to shove his tool right through his heart.
“You are too late. They’re not here any longer,” he said without turning around.
“Poor, stupid Sully,” the eldest Witch said. “You never did know when to keep your mouth shut.”
She had always admired the tin master, though he didn’t know when to keep quiet. If he were lucky, he would become her personal pet. And if he lived, he would learn when to speak and when to remain silent.
Sully turned and looked her in the eyes. “I am not afraid of you. With my help, Ian will take the lady to the castle. There, she will come into her powers and the three of you will be gone for good.”
One of the Witches hissed at him but the eldest held up her hand. “And isn’t it just too bad that you won’t be there to see it.”
Sully dropped the tools in his hand and took off his metal apron. He unbuttoned his shirt and held out his arms, exposing his bare chest, which she wanted nothing more than to run her fingers across. He had such a pure heart, this one. Too bad he was going to have to die eventually.
“Kill me. I have served my purpose.”
This one knew things before they were said. How intriguing.
“Oh we will kill you, but not now. For the moment, we are going to send you to a place where you will learn your lesson. And only when we are ready will you die.”
The Witches were pleased to see a look of fear pass over Sully’s face. His emotions filled the air and they inhaled. Nothing smelled better than a man who knew he was going to feel pain, except for a man who knew he was going to die.
“We hope you enjoy the fire pits at our palace. It’s fitting, you see. You wield your weapons in the fire and now we’re going to wield you.” The Witch’s lips lifted into a beautiful smile filled with venom. “Or at least, we’re going roast you a bit.”
Sully opened his mouth to scream as the Witches said the spell that sent him to the fire pits of their castle. The fires were enchanted so he would not die. Instead, the flames would inflict pain until he could take no more. It would be just the beginning for poor Sully.
The eldest turned to her sisters now that the business with the tin master was finished.
“We head to the west. Our friends there will be most willing to help.”
With a quick chant, the three Witches went west where they found the person they were looking for. He waited for them, the winds having whispered their arrival, knowing that he only had two choices. To help them or die. It was simple, really.
“How may I serve you?” he asked, bowing at the waist.
The Witches looked at one another with smug expressions on their faces. They knew the path that Ian and the woman needed to take for the Witches’ plan to work. And this poor unfortunate soul was just the one to set their path.
“You only have to do one very small task for us. Send Ian and his friend through the forest and to the Enchanted Fields. We’ll take over from there.”
His mouth fell open. He knew as well as they did the risks of entering the Enchanted Fields.
“But Mistress,” he begged, “Ian will never listen. He knows—”
The eldest Witch held up her hand. “You will convince them, my pet. Tell them the fields have been calm for a while. They’ll see that you are not feeling the…effects of the fields and know it’s true.”
He blushed as she pointed out his addiction. She licked her lips and the man flinched. The fact he didn’t like women made it harder to control him but they had found other ways to make him play with them. If he declined then she would play upon his true weakness—his lost love.
“If you help us, your reward will be great.”
As if he had a choice.
The man looked down. His internal battle danced across his face. He finally replied, “Yes, mistress. I will help you.”
The Witch took a step forward and grabbed the man by the face. She applied just enough pressure to his jaw to show him that she was serious. “If you fail, then you will die.” She placed a kiss on his lips sealing her vow. “We’ll be watching.”
His body shook and tears filled his eyes as she let him go.
“Oh, he’s going to cry. It’s just so sad, really,” one of the sisters laughed.
The eldest sister never took her eyes off the man. “He’ll be fine, if he doesn’t fuck up.”
* * * * *
Ian raised his eyes to the sky. They were losing time and they needed to get out of the woods before twilight. Their trip was nothing more than a race against time and they were falling behind again.
“What happens if we don’t get out of the woods before dark?” Lexi asked.
He cursed under his breath. He’d
hoped she wouldn’t notice his anxiety but he should have known she would pick up on it. He debated on how much to tell her. He didn’t want her to worry but she also needed to know.
“Bad things come out of the woods at night. If we don’t make it out, the Witches will be the least of our worries. There are animals that kill and people who do worse things than that.”
Drugs passed freely in the area and people would do anything to get them, even if it meant capturing the head of the Royal Guard and using him for ransom. In fact, catching him would serve several purposes including letting those who hated him seek their revenge.
The drug use had led to sex trafficking and prostitution, which was one of the reasons he wanted to get through the area as soon as possible. Lexi would stand out among the others, drawing attention. Without backup, he’d be outnumbered if it came down to a fight.
Lexi flinched. “Well, we’d better make up some lost time, then.”
Without saying another word, she began running. He watched as she ran ahead of him, her bottom shaking with each step. Damn, she was so breathtakingly sexy.
She glanced over her shoulder and called out, “You do realize I don’t know where I’m going, right?”
He laughed and caught up with her. His training with the Royal Guards included long distance running but he was surprised to see that Lexi matched him step for step.
“I also ran with the long distance team in college,” she said.
He grinned and picked up his pace. The south trail would take them right to the palace but they’d have to go the long way around the Enchanted Fields. He wouldn’t risk taking Lexi near the fields. It wasn’t worth the hazard.
As he ran, he scanned the surroundings. If Andrew had been with him, the two would take turns leading and scanning but it was all up to him now. He realized they were getting close to the Wooden Brothel. He slowed down to a jog.
“We’re about to reach an area that is semi-safe during the day but very dangerous at night. Don’t talk to anyone. If they ask who you are, let me answer. These people cannot be trusted.”
