by D. R. Rosier
That’s when Katie teleported them to the forest floor underneath the vast elven city canopy, and they climbed up to the council chambers once more. The council of three looked a little surprised to see her back so soon, but they nodded in at least a small amount of respect as she bowed and stood in front of them. He was once again behind her and to the right, with Sadie on his right, and he was very glad he didn’t have to deal with political bullshit. He wondered if his mother Sy’lia was ever as arrogant as they were, but he found the idea hard to credit.
Sianne said, “Welcome, bearer. We didn’t expect you back so soon.”
Katie replied, “We adapted, and managed to destroy the enemy in half the expected time. I’ve come to hear word of the other ship, and the status of your fighting before I join the effort.”
Sianne said, “That’s good news. We’ve had some similar success. Many of the enemy fell two days ago and the remainder fled for their lives away from our borders. The local council also gave permission for you to arrive through the gate and travel through their forest.”
Katie asked, “Do you have eyes on them, or know how many are left?”
Sianne shook her head, “We guard the border, and they haven’t been seen again. All I can say is some fled north, and two other groups fled in southern directions.”
Katie bowed, “I understand, thank you.”
Sianne had the nerve to smile gracefully, as if she’d actually done Katie any fucking favors. Although, the fact they’d split up into three groups was one useful bit of information. At the same time, it was no more than what Katie would feel. Once they were on the other side of the world in that magical forest, he was sure Katie would feel pulled in three directions at once.
They bowed and left, and headed for the gate, based on the tic in Katie’s face he’d say she was pissed off they hadn’t pursued, or at least tracked the enemy. He paid attention as Katie activated the gate. He knew there were destinations all over the world. Once open, it was as easy as crossing the living room. Once through, Katie closed her eyes, obviously to get a feel for things.
He shamelessly took the opportunity to stare at her beautiful face.
Katie sighed, “There’re three groups as Sianne said. They’re almost a hundred and fifty miles away in three separate directions. There’s no way we can catch them by horse.”
He suggested tentatively, “I can summon three hawks, just tell me which direction to send them in. They’ll catch up by tomorrow morning I’d imagine, and we’ll know numbers and so forth.”
It’d feel wrong to relax the rest of the day, it was barely ten in the morning after taking down just three groups, but there was no other way to catch them. Katie had some teleport points in eastern China, but up in the northwest, and southern Russia, she didn’t have any. From what he could tell, Katie had never even been in this elven and dragon forest before.
Katie nodded, “Good plan, and it’s the best we can do.”
She cast a quick spell that sent out three beams of light, and he cast his creature summoning spell and pulled in three of his four hunting hawks, and then sent them down those lines. A normal bird would go off course, but undead hawks would fly straight and true until they saw the four-armed enemy and let him know.
It did feel a little wrong, calling the day so early, but they’d face the aliens tomorrow he was sure. He made sure his bracer was at full power regardless, so he’d be able to use that, and still refill it two more times tomorrow. It was the best they could do. The four of them spent a little time together, and they did their own thing as well. Katie spent some time in the library, while he and Sadie left for a bit to visit a new community. He missed Katie, but he knew it was the healthier thing. Her absence also pulled on his libido, perhaps harder than her presence would have. He knew one thing, that their upcoming fourth night together wouldn’t be any less hot.
He also spent some time considering Sadie as they toured the community and talked to a few people in the market, and he decided there may only be one way to deal with his confused and conflicting emotions from their long history.
He was just worried about the consequences of trying. Sadie meant the world to him, and if it went wrong, they’d still be stuck with each other for a very long time.
Chapter Thirteen – Interlude
Sadie breathed out slowly as she maintained her form in a split, with her back bent backwards in a perfect arch and her hands flat on the ground. There was something very relaxing about yoga, though she’d never done it in her old life before she was awaked with new purpose. It actually wasn’t yoga either, technically. It was something similar to yoga that the elves did, which Sy’lia had taught the family, or those interested anyway. Balance, flexibility, breathing, stretching, and natural body resistance. It was cleansing to the mind, centering as she cleared her mind and calmed her emotions.
She certainly didn’t need to do it for her body, master’s life energy that filled her ensured her youthful and supple limberness would never fade. Her very flexible body would always remain so. But it helped her sharpen her mind and soothe her soul. Her true passion, true purpose, what gave her true joy and fulfillment was to serve master, but she was also so much more than that.
She loved to cook. She loved to take down assholes hard and fast, and she was very grateful for her new life. She knew her will wasn’t as free as others. Not as a created being resurrected from a life that had ended in tragedy, but she had plenty of things she did for herself and master never told her not to pursue her interests. If anything, he encouraged her to create, to be free to express herself, and to pursue her own passions. In a very real way, she almost felt sorry for the woman she used to be. It was a gift to know her purpose, and to take joy in that purpose. She was master’s, not just her life force, but her heart and mind as well, at her choice.
It was a service in joy and love, and although he could, he never limited her. She even took a wicked delight in teasing her master, often. The last few days had been rewarding for her despite her yearning and nascent love taking her by surprise. The joy she took in his happiness was very real.
After all, her loyalty and service didn’t include her deep and abiding love for him both on the familial and now the romantic level, that was all her choice and free will.
She flexed her body into a handstand, and she did a split and swiveled her hips until her feet touched the ground, and then held that pose for a moment. That’s when there was a knock on the door. She knew it was master, merely because of how hard the knock was, and she also knew he was in a nervous and excited mood because of the speed of the three quick knocks.
She sprung to her feet, made sure her red sports bra and black stretchy short shorts were where they were supposed to be, then moved to open the door. She suppressed a pleased smile, when she saw the effect that her sweat covered skin and skimpy attire had on master.
“Ryan?”
He asked, “May I come in?”
She smiled, and then stepped back. Of course he could come in. He could command anything of her, and she’d do it breathlessly by both her nature and her loving desire and devotion for the sexy, virile, and wonderful man that was master. The fact he’d just asked what he could have easily demanded, and more, made her a little wet. Her heart was still pounding from the workout, and she wondered if he could see her nipples had tightened through her sports bra. She felt all tingly.
Just from his presence, and under the affectionate attention of his intense blue eyes.
“Anytime. Shouldn’t you be tiring out the bearer right about now?” she grinned teasingly.
It was late, the last three nights he’d been leaking his life force and enjoyment through their link by that time. It was something she both enjoyed, and envied.
He blushed, “I wanted to talk to you first. I’m just not sure how to say it. Katie knows I’m here, and why I’m here.”
She smiled, “Would you like to sit, I have wine or water if you want some?”
He
nodded and moved over to the small couch. She was a little surprised he beckoned her over to sit next to him, and even more surprised when he took both of her hands in his. His touch on her doubled the tingling in her body, as her center warmed further. Goddess, she had trouble hiding it.
So much for Elven yoga calming and centering her mind, she was going to have to rub one out as soon as he left.
He said, “I’ve been thinking the last couple of days, since I found out how you truly feel about me.”
She froze, suddenly nervous and a little horrified, but he said, “I’ve never read your life, and I never would. It was just obvious once it was pointed out to me. The looks you give me, the… you get the idea. I’ve been trying to work out how I truly feel, Sadie. There’s so much history between us, so many evolving layers of our relationship that still influence my conscious… perception of you and us.”
She nodded slowly, “I went through the same thing. I’m still going through the same thing. I love you in all ways, but I didn’t want to talk to you about it until it was all straight in my head.”
He smiled, “Maybe I should’ve waited, but I sort of have a plan that might… help? I don’t want your answer now, so don’t say yes or no until tomorrow after our hunt, and this isn’t an order, but I thought if we went on a date tomorrow night it could help. A real date just the two of us, perhaps that could break through and ignite our true and newest feelings for each other? I know that’s a little crazy, but I want you to think about it. I figured after a date, and perhaps a good night kiss, it would either be the spark that started the fire, or…” he trailed off.
She frowned, “Or the spark would be snuffed out by the layers of our old relationships.”
He nodded, “You understand. It would be a risk, and the last thing I want to do is cause you pain, but outside of trying I don’t see how we could ever discover the truth. I also want you to know how important you are to me, how much I love you, even if I don’t know if I’m in love with you. How much your company, support, devotion, and friendship over the years has meant to me. Maybe that will help if…” he trailed off.
She smiled, “I know you, and I already know how much you care for me.”
He nodded, “Maybe, but I’m going to show you anyway, just how amazing you are to me.”
She was confused by his statement, how was he going to show her? She knew how she wanted him to show her, but she doubted after hearing his plan he was about to fuck her silly and make her his in all ways.
Then the life force hit her hard. She’d never really thought about his ability to read life force, read all sorts of things from others. Their memory, their health, their full potential and where they fell short of it, and many other things. But she’d never considered the idea he could read his own life force, and not only read it, but share it with his created.
She froze in shock, and memories assaulted her mind. His memories, her beloved master’s memories. Not all of them, just every single memory of her, every emotion of her, every moment and every thought of her whether she was present or not. She knew he cared for her, but his true memories, how he truly saw her throughout his life, floored her.
The joy in his heart, as his father passed her to his authority and magic, and so much more.
Tears filled her eyes, and fell down her cheeks, as they just kept coming like a never-ending flood in her mind. The way he saw her, depended on her, cared for her, loved her, wanted to protect her but had to let her stand as his guardian. How precious she was to him, and how her loyalty, calm and serene support, and sweet kindness was valued. As was her ferocity, deadly grace, and lethal intent for those that would harm him or other innocents.
He even loved how she teased him, and she’d always just thought it was about him leaving her will free and unencumbered. That was also there, but a separate thing.
She was speechless after witnessing his memories from birth until now, from the first time she held him in her arms as a baby and he saw her piercing green eyes, to this moment right there on the couch. He was terrified that he’d hurt her, if it wasn’t meant to be, and he wasn’t just in denial because of the past.
That was also new information for Sadie, that Bria thought he loved her, but was in denial because of the past getting in the way. The weight of all the years together through the stages of his life until he’d become the man that he was that she was proud to serve.
She tried to stop the tears of joy, not just for the gift of learning how he truly felt about her and their long past, but that he would honor her with such a gift.
She asked in awe, “That was everything?”
He blushed, “Mostly.”
She tilted her head briefly in thought, and then blushed herself when she considered what he might’ve been doing during puberty. Doing to himself in relation to his crush on her, and she was glad she hadn’t seen those memories. But she had gotten some of that, the puppy love, his fantasies about running off with her and starting a family, and all sorts of sweet things. It was childish, but he’d been a child at the time after all.
Ironically, it’s also what he’d done when he turned eighteen, ran away with her to start his own life, even if not in a romantic way it was… interesting. His old fantasy come true sort of, but through the eyes and intentions of a man that’d shed his childish desires. She had the feeling that was the true block, his old crush. She imagined that him getting over that had shifted his thoughts of her so far away from romance, that her only hope was the pendulum would swing back, but to a manly three-dimensional desire and view of her instead of the shallow unrealistic dreams of a young man’s infatuation.
He brushed her tears away with a thumb, and his hand lingered for a moment before dropping back down to take her hands again. The way he looked into her eyes made her feel weak, and so very warm.
“You okay?”
She giggle-sobbed, “Yes, thank you for that… utterly priceless gift. I knew you cared, but goddess, not that much. I… well you know how I feel, Ryan. I’ll let you know if you can have the honor of taking me out tomorrow after battle.”
He snorted, “Cheeky wench.”
She giggled, “Your cheeky wench, Ryan.”
He winked, obviously trying to break the tension of what he’d just done for her, and it even worked a little as she smiled at him.
She said, “You should go.”
She was so wet at the thought of joining him and Katie in bed. Of Katie watching her with him, and even helping her pleasure him, if not each other. She’d also enjoy watching them she knew. She wouldn’t have minded a little loving between them, but she knew Katie had zero inclinations that way. That was also fine, they could still share a love as they shared him, if a platonic one that doesn’t mean passionless as far as the heart, just the body.
Or, it could all backfire and break her heart into little pieces. He could tell her after a date that he doesn’t want her, that her body doesn’t turn him on, and that he doesn’t want her to be his in every way. It was a risk, but like him she’d regret it if they just stayed stuck going in circles. She had to know one way or another, but she’d still think about it as master suggested, and not give him his answer until tomorrow.
She smiled and squeezed his hands, as he squeezed hers, then walked him over to the door. There was no non-awkward way to say goodnight, after sharing something so intimate as he had with her. She’d seen his lifetime of memories, almost every one that was about her, and it felt weird that he was leaving after that.
She said goodnight, and kissed his cheek boldly, because she was sure now he liked her physical moments of affection, even if just on a non-romantic scale for the moment. She bit her lip wistfully as the door closed, and she went right into the shower to get the sweat off. And… to rub one out, or maybe two. She was soaked, and her pussy was throbbing with need…
Katie arranged herself sexily on the bed. She had on a thin red silk teddy that was about fifty percent diaphanous, her nipples and areolas, as
well as her wet sex, were hardly hidden in the thing. She thought he’d enjoy it, and she felt a little naughty about it and was getting turned on more and more as she waited for him. For his smile, warm and confident blue eyes, and his large and thick cock.
She’d never felt this way about a man before, so excited, and so undone. She didn’t love him yet of course, and she had loved men before. She was falling already however, and she felt a surprising amount of affection for him along with her potently needy and shameless lust. That was what she’d never felt for a man before, at least not to the insane needy levels she felt those emotions and drives toward him. She was almost crawling up the walls desperate in that moment in her need to be ravished by him.
She thought part of the reason that was, was the other way she’d never felt about a man before. She’d never had so much hope, so strong a belief and feeling, that he was the one. That she would inevitably fall deeply and hard, and spend the rest of her life loving him, fucking him, and sharing her dreams, responsibilities, and everything else with him.
He was just… perfect. She knew that couldn’t be true, but he was perfect for the big stuff. The things that had always ruined her relationships in the past. He was a perfect fit for her from taking charge in the bedroom, to confident deference to her every decision when on mission. He never once tried to gainsay her when it came to the balance, or how she dealt with the elves, even though she could tell he wanted her to kick their asses verbally. He’d not only held his tongue out of deference to her wishes and approach to the problem, but he hadn’t even said he felt that way or complained about it in any way.
She was sure there were little things about him that would touch her nerves, eventually, but all the true deal breakers in her mind were already put to bed. He was about as perfect for her as she’d ever get or meet, and she’d never met a man like him before. Except maybe his father, save the harem which is the only reason she’d never pursued the man herself with signals.
