by Ivy Barrett
“You are not Gelmont!” Serena cried. “Can’t anyone else see the colors?”
Kapali lunged for the fallen priest. The imposter kicked out at him then scrambled to his feet. “She’s had too much tersatta juice,” he cried. “You all know me!”
“He’s Wikoli!” Serena shouted. “I saw it in his eyes.”
Her warning jarred the others out of their shocked stupor. Kapali tackled the imposter as two other priests joined the fray. The imposter slammed his elbow into Kapali’s gut and kicked wildly at the others. The remaining worshippers formed a protective ring around Serena as the fight continued.
“Alert the guards!” Hyalee shouted, and one of the priestesses ran to obey.
Lubricated by body paint and desperation, the imposter broke free and fled into the forest. The two priests rushed after him while Kapali fought to regain his breath.
“He could not have done this alone.” The high priest forced the words out as he struggled to his feet. “It would have taken others to reinforce the illusion.”
Serena leaned against one of the poles and crossed her arms over her breasts. Even surrounded by a shield of people, she couldn’t stop shaking. Had the imposter wanted to defile a holy rite or was this a personal attack? Had they put something in the tersatta juice? She could still see the bizarre lights.
“Are you all right?” Hyalee asked cautiously.
Serena held up her hand to keep the high priestess back. If anyone touched her right now, she’d completely lose control. “How did he know about the ascension?” She snatched her robe off the grass and clutched it to her breasts. “Only a priest knows the evocations.”
“We will find the imposter and whoever was helping him,” Kapali said then realization sparked within his gaze. “Where is the real Gelmont?” He motioned two of his priests forward. “Check his cottage and the meditation garden. Even his body art was identical. They had to have inserted the imposter after Gelmont’s preparations were complete.” Kapali returned to her side, his movements stiff and careful. “What exactly did you see?”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat and forced herself to look at the high priest. Kapali stood close enough for the moonlight to reveal his features, but the ribbons of color still surrounded him. “Everyone is glowing. I can see strands of color and pulses of light. There’s movement in the strands. They seem to flow. The imposter’s strands tangled and tightened until they strangled the color.” With murmurs of speculation, the others pressed in around her. Serena shrank back against the pole. “What’s happening to me?”
“You’re a soul seer.” Hyalee’s tone was filled with awe. “The Deity hasn’t bestowed this gift for many generations.”
“I don’t think I want to see souls.” Serena wrapped her arms around herself and lowered her gaze to her feet. At least the grass wasn’t glowing. “How do I make it stop?”
“Were it not for this gift, you would have been taken by the imposter,” Hyalee reminded her. “This is a rare and wonderful gift. We cannot allow it to slip from your grasp.” She patted Serena’s shoulder, but conviction rang in her tone. “I’ve always sensed you were meant for extraordinary things.”
That brought Serena’s head up and she stepped away from the pole. “Why didn’t you sense the imposter? Why didn’t anyone realize he was not Gelmont?”
“This was not the work of one man,” Kapali stressed. “We all know the Wikoli can create illusions, but to influence all of our minds, it would take several sorcerers working together. I have never heard of such a thing.”
“We should have been prepared.” Tears stung Serena’s eyes and she quickly blinked them back. One of them had touched her and been a hair’s breadth away from stealing her sacrifice—in plain sight of half the Order!
No one spoke of it openly, but Serena’s mother claimed she’d been raped by a Wikoli warrior and Serena resulted from the attack. Others speculated that force had nothing to do with Serena’s conception, that her mother had welcomed the attention of the enemy. All Serena knew was the incident shattered any hope of peace between the two tribes, and the Wikoli leaders had been plotting ways to claim their descendent ever since. Serena’s potential for divine gifts had greatly heightened their resolve to steal her away from the Perrlain.
“You must complete your ascension,” Hyalee said quietly.
“I can’t do this tonight.” Serena tore off her headdress and mask, tossing them to the ground. “He wasn’t trying to abduct me. He was trying to fuck me! Why would they attempt something so despicable? This is a sacred ritual.”
“They would have claimed you ascended into the Wikoli Order.” Hyalee put her hands on Serena’s shoulders and spoke in a quiet, calm tone. “It would have given them a legitimate right to take you from us. You cannot allow these villains to rob you of your destiny. Our warriors will find the imposter and whoever was helping him. They will be punished for what they attempted tonight. But, Serena, if you reject the Deity’s gift, it might never be offered again. Once you learn to interpret these strands, you will be able to guide others through their innermost conflicts. A soul seer can heal from within. They restore health and balance to those desperately in need. Think of all the people you can help. This is your divine calling.”
Dragging her fingertips across her eyelids, Serena wiped away the soot. How could she continue on as if nothing had happened? She could still see the imposter’s cunning blue gaze burning into hers. “What about Gelmont? I can’t ascend without the Chosen One.”
Kapali and Hyalee moved a few paces away and spoke in urgent whispers. Serena watched them closely, unable to imagine what they were debating. Without Gelmont, the ascension couldn’t progress—could it? Hyalee motioned for the tall, lean priest to join them and the hushed conversation resumed. The other priests and priestesses loitered in an untidy cluster, unsure if they would be needed or not.
The tall priest was Baylott. His height and the breadth of his shoulders couldn’t be disguised by his mask. Baylott’s sexual prowess and easygoing nature made him popular with both men and women. Many times her gaze had drifted to him and his chosen partner during celebrations. He was utterly unashamed of his sexuality. Would they designate him as the new Chosen One? Despite Serena’s anxiety, her body awakened, humming with anticipation.
Hyalee stepped back, her expression tense and uncertain. “Are you sure?” she asked her brother.
“There is no other way.”
Accepting his decision with a stiff nod, the high priestess turned to Serena. “Only a high priest can facilitate an ascension without formal preparation.”
Serena glanced at Kapali and struggled to conceal her shock. “I have never seen Kapali express his sexuality with a woman.”
“It has been some time since I found pleasure in a woman’s body,” Kapali admitted, “but these are extraordinary circumstances. Baylott has agreed to assist us. He will add his energy to mine and together we will complete your ascension.”
“You will both—”
“No.” The high priest smiled. “I will accept your sacrifice on behalf of the Deity and Baylott will…”
“I’m going to fuck Kapali while he fucks you.” Baylott softened the graphic statement with a playful wink. “I’ll make sure you’re more than ready before we get to that point.”
“I appreciate your candor,” Serena told him, yet uncertainty buffeted her composure. She couldn’t purge her mind of the imposter’s blue gaze or blithely accept these unexpected changes. This was nothing like she’d imagined her ascension would be, and she couldn’t help feeling cheated. Unwilling to turn loose of her robe, she nodded beyond them. “I would feel more at ease if we were not on display.”
“It’s too dangerous to leave you unprotected,” Hyalee said. “But tonight they will act as guards, not participate in the celebration.”
Baylott took Serena’s hand as the high priestess stationed the others around the perimeter of the clearing. After brushing Serena’s knuckles with
his lips, he unfolded her fingers and pressed a kiss into the center of her palm. Kapali stroked her hair away from her face and eased her robe out from under her other hand.
“You’re safe now,” Baylott whispered. “We’ll take care of you.”
She knew who Baylott was, but his mask was an unwelcome barrier. Taking off his headdress, she used his mask to wipe away his face paint then raked her fingers through his hair.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded and he shrugged out of his robe, pulling her into his arms before she got a good look at his body. His fingers curved around the back of her neck as his lips settled over hers. Kapali discarded his robe as well and pressed in against their sides. Instinctively, she wrapped her arm around his back and Baylott did the same. They shifted, aligning their bodies so all three touched skin to skin.
Her nipples hardened as the men rubbed against her. Hands stroked her back and squeezed her bottom. Instead of releasing her mouth to kiss Kapali, Baylott brought Kapali’s lips to hers. Moving from her mouth to the high priest’s and back, Baylott established the needed connection. Soon Kapali’s tongue joined the kiss, sliding into her mouth as often as Baylott’s. She followed their lead, returning the kisses with equal enthusiasm.
Tension melted from her muscles, replaced by simmering heat. Kapali was strong in the ways of the Deity, and Baylott was a master of carnal pleasure. Could she ask for a better ascension? She must purge her mind of everything but this moment and the feelings awakening within her.
The men pulled back, making room for their eager hands. She lost track of who was touching her where. It all felt wonderful. Kapali rolled one nipple while Baylott bent over her other breast. She felt Baylott’s hand nudge her thigh and realized he was stroking Kapali’s cock. A jolt of lust stabbed through her body, lodging between her thighs.
“I want to see you touch each other,” she whispered, emboldened by the hunger unfurling within her.
Neither man objected. She sank to the grass and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Baylott’s hair was several shades lighter than Kapali’s. The high priest was older and far more serious. He approached everything with reverence and respect while Baylott laughed often and loved to tease.
They kept their bodies angled toward her while they enjoyed a long, thorough kiss. Baylott grasped the high priest’s shaft as Kapali cupped Baylott’s balls. Serena watched their hands, fascinated by the contrast in the way they touched and the reaction of their bodies. Like the rest of him, Baylott’s cock was long and lean compared to Kapali’s thick, heavily veined shaft. She suddenly wished Baylott would be entering her instead of the high priest.
As they aroused each other, their soul strands intensified. Kapali’s colors were richer while Baylott’s burned brighter. The interwoven patterns came into focus and Serena covered her mouth with her hand. Thoughts and impressions flooded her mind, revelations about the two men. With a soft gasp, she tore her gaze away and stared off into the darkness. These were private thoughts and secret longings, things she had no right to know.
Baylott chuckled and stepped back, drawing her attention to his flushed face. “Where is the tersatta pulp? I think our acolyte is getting restless.” And gauging by the size of his erection, she wasn’t the only one.
“If we don’t complete the ceremony, will the gift fade away?” she asked as Kapali found the bowel of crushed tersatta.
“Why would you even consider allowing that to happen?” Baylott knelt in front of her and took her hands between his. “Surely you realize there’s nothing to fear from us.”
“I’m not afraid of expressing my sexuality. The Wikoli will stop at nothing to capture me. I didn’t realize that until tonight. How much greater will their determination grow once they learn of my gift?”
“Conflict has surrounded you from the moment of your birth.” Kapali handed the bowl to Baylott and joined them in the grass. “If you live your life in fear, the Wikoli have won.”
She agreed with his logic, but the tension coiled inside her refused to release.
“Lie back,” Baylott instructed her. “Tersatta juice stimulates sensitivity and the plant’s flesh provides moisture whenever extra is needed.” She reclined in the grass and he bent her knees, parting her thighs and exposing her sex to the breeze—and the heat of his gaze. Gathering some of the crushed tersatta on his fingertips, he worked the cool pulp between her folds and around the entrance to her passage. “Besides, it tastes wonderful.”
Holding her legs wide, he bent and traced her slit with his tongue. Serena’s abdomen quivered. She’d dreamed about this for so long, imagined the warm brush of a lover’s lips and the questing touch of his tongue.
She had just begun to enjoy the sensations when Kapali stepped into view.
“Do you like that, little acolyte?” The high priest’s voice took on a smoky quality as he watched Baylott lick her. “Does his mouth feel as good on your pussy as it does on my cock?”
His soul strands tangled and the colors darkened. Emotions pulsed through her mind, longing, hunger, and a thread of jealousy. Kapali cared about Baylott far more than the high priest would ever admit.
“Does she taste good, Brother?”
The sharp note in Kapali’s tone made Baylott look up. “She has never known a man before. She needs to be extremely aroused before you take her. Would you like to taste her while I attend to you?”
Kapali crossed his arms over his chest and looked off into the distance. “Continue. I will endeavor not to distract you again.”
Baylott kissed her inner thighs then used his thumbs to hold her open. “Close your eyes, love. Think of nothing but how good this feels.”
She lowered her lids and he resumed the wonderful caress, but Kapali’s emotions echoed through her being. What would it be like to have someone care about her so deeply, need her so desperately? With stubborn control, she pushed the distraction to the back of her mind and focused on the sensations zinging through her system.
Baylott explored her folds then concentrated on her clit. Warmth built and tingles spiraled deep into her abdomen. She rocked her hips, rubbing herself against his mouth. Yes, that was it. Just a little more and—
The unmistakable crack of a palm slapping flesh interrupted the rhythm of Baylott’s kiss. Serena opened her eyes and found Kapali kneeling behind the younger priest. He swung his arm, spanking Baylott with hard fast swats.
“Offer me your ass.” Kapali sounded almost angry, yet desperate need flowed through his soul strands.
“Sir, now is not the time for—“
Another hard spank cut off his objection and heat cascaded through Serena’s body. She’d seen females spanked by their dominate lovers, but this was the first time she’d seen the dynamic at work between two men.
“Now!” Kapali accented the command with two hard swats, one on each side.
Slowly, Baylott reached back and parted his cheeks, offering his hole for the pleasure of his master. Kapali coated his fingers with tersatta pulp then shoved them deep into Baylott’s ass. Kapali paused with his fingers deep and delivered more hard swats.
Fascinated by the unexpected development, she looked at Baylott. His expression was rapturous, as if he floated in sensual bliss. Why was he finding pleasure in such a violent action? The swats had to hurt, and those fingers… Kapali had large hands. Did it really feel good to have ones back passage filled with long, thick fingers? A dark shiver slid down her spine, making her clit twitch.
Kapali moved his hand forward and back, shuttling his long fingers in and out of Baylott’s tight hole. All the while he continued the harsh spanking. Despite the intensity of the exchange, affection arced between them, zinging back and forth in tangible waves. Clearly Baylott needed this just as much as the high priest.
“If my cock were not needed elsewhere, I would fuck you fast and hard.” The possessiveness burning in his gaze was echoed by his soul strands. Did Baylott understand how deeply Kapali cared for him? Gauging
from how often she saw Baylott with other partners, she seriously doubted Kapali’s devotion was returned.
Baylott twisted back and caught Kapali’s wrist. “Are you going to be able to do this, Master?”
Serena heard the plea in Baylott’s tone. Kapali grabbed Baylott’s hair and pulled him up for a savage kiss, all the while his fingers shuttled in and out of the younger man’s ass. Baylott’s cock bobbed in time to the fucking, and she couldn’t drag her gaze away. Her pussy throbbed and her heartbeat raced. She felt utterly intrusive.
They were oblivious to the world around them, utterly lost in each other.
“Later, Sir.” Baylott dodged Kapali’s next thrust. “We are here for Serena.”
Bracing his hands on his thighs, Kapali took several deep breaths, his head slightly bowed. Serena felt an odd tightening in her chest. Would anyone ever look at her with such consuming passion?
Baylott took a handful of crushed tersatta and rubbed it along the length of Kapali’s shaft. The high priest trembled at the touch of Baylott’s hand. This is what Kapali wanted, what he craved with every pulse of his soul strands. He wanted Baylott focused on him, surrendered to him, possessed by him alone. Kapali groaned when Baylott set the bowl aside and motioned toward Serena.
“I don’t want to hurt her.” Kapali’s words were barely a whisper, but somehow they reached Serena’s ears. This was as much a sacrifice for Kapali as it was for her. “She deserves better for her first time.”
“I’ll help you get in then we’ll do the rest together.”
With a stiff nod, Kapali moved between her legs. He found her opening with the blunt head of his cock and looked into her eyes. “I wish Baylott could do this instead of me. Your ascension should be pleasurable.”
She accepted his statement with an uncertain nod. The intensity of his soul strands had stabilized, so she tried to relax. Baylott circled her clit and caressed her delicate folds as Kapali pushed against her. She gasped and turned her head to the side. Was it supposed to hurt this much?
