The Bearer of Secrets (Dark Legacy)

by Kyle Belote

  “No need, I already tried. A powerful spell is blocking me, and I can’t get within two days walk of the city.”

  “Well, we could Psimond them then, some warning!”

  “I tried that as well. Only one being is powerful enough to block me: Xilor.” Judas intoned, wearily.

  “Probably,” she conceded, her lips puckered, biting back more words. “Perhaps it is the Xicx that are doing the spells. Why Far Point? There is nothing of strategic value.”

  “No, the Xicx aren’t powerful enough to stop me, and as for Far Point, I am at a loss.”

  “How is it possible that he has escaped?”

  “It would always be a matter of time. Nothing is truly escape-proof. What about you, Madam Raviils? Where are you going now to deliver the news of this battle?”

  “I’m off to negotiate with the elyves,” Meristal replied after a moment of consideration. “Once finished, I will return to Ralloc, though I’d rather be here with you.”

  “Very well, best if you don’t stay, at least not at the moment. You have more pressing matters to attend. Tell the Council that the war has started. Refugees of Wizard’s Pass will be coming to Ralloc, Dlad City, or some other city along the way. Best that they have some warning and prepare.”

  “I will do as you ask, but I don’t know if they will listen.”

  “Make them listen.”

  “Be careful, Judas. Try to stay in one piece for me.”

  “And you, my dear, fly like the wind, and may Goushuul speed your journey.”

  Meristal gave him a quizzical look, but held back. The two held each other’s gaze for a moment, speaking with their eyes what their mouths would not, and then Meristal flickered as she teleported away, leaving Judas with his grief and the duty of organizing a mass evacuation to Ralloc.

  Chapter 47 : Kam And Lily

  Upon shutting the door, Julie turned and faced the street, pausing long enough to look for travelers walking at this time of night. She didn’t see any. Tugging her clean but tattered robes tighter, she slipped out of the projected enchantment and trudged back down the street towards the Traveler’s Haven.

  The same overpowering sense smothered her, the malevolent gaze hounding her gait. With her head moving, she turned, hands reaching for her wand. Her eyes darted through the darkness, but nothing stirred. Shaking off the dread, she continued, but her wand remained tightly clasped in her hand.

  She reached the safety of the Traveler’s Haven and the awareness never relented. If anything, it seemed at hand, a stray breath on the nape of her neck. The merriment inside the inn broke through the shuddering thoughts. She opened the front door. The half-filled common room greeted her. A new bartender stood behind the counter, and a couple of girls lilted between tables. Julie couldn’t tell if they were servers or whores. Perhaps both.

  With a seat at the bar, she ordered her complementary meal. After a few moments, the bartender dropped a plate of some form of meat and vegetable stew over rice and a slice of wheat bread. Against her better judgment, she ordered another two Vampire Dust and flicked a copper bit to him. She ate leisurely, recalling the vivid carnage of the battle that took place during her Shadowcasting.

  No, may or may not have taken place, she reminded herself, regardless of how real it seemed.

  She drank copiously with her meal and ordered another drink, savoring the flavor. With a swivel, she took in the night crowd. Old, weathered men sat playing games with cards or pieces of chiseled wood or stone and money. Every once in a while, something would elicit a whoop or a cry of dismay from them. Though having never played the game and unable to follow, she reveled in the spectacle. Others seated randomly about the room ate and drank together, talking in low voices while others adored the traveling player bound for greatness in Ralloc. Her gaze swept across the room as she drank, the Vampire Dust making her cognitive functions sluggish, but she savored the experience.

  Her eyes finally came to rest on a couple sitting alone. The woman straddled the man, his hands gripping her buttocks, sharing a passionate embrace. The magelust flickered within her. The woman, a blonde, turned her head as his lips brushed her neck, making eye contact with Julie. The magelust flared to life, burning bright and hot. Alcohol swirled through her head, a tingling fog settling over her. She had felt the magelust twice before, once with Todd, and once with the young man at the inn in Dlad City. Without the possibility of Judas barging in or the sharp pain jarring her out of the lasciviousness, the night might have ended differently. Though the latter had proven to be the stronger of the two, it was a mild annoyance compared to the impulse gripping her now.

  What the hell is wrong with me? The longer she gazed, the more excited she became. What am I doing? I shouldn’t even be watching them!

  But Julie could not tear her eyes away, yearning, she wanted to be the woman in the pair. The man’s hands glided up the woman’s back. Julie could almost feel the man’s hands on her; goosebumps riddled her skin, her stomach clenched.

  No, I can’t do this, I can’t watch them, but I can’t look away! Why can’t I break this hold? Her gaze slid to the man’s face, the urge flaring.

  If I do this I am lost, she tried to reason with herself.

  You are already lost.

  It’s unnatural, she countered weakly.

  If that is true, you would never be born, and there would be no point in living.

  The woman rose lazily, leading the man up the stairs to the rooms. The blonde made eye contact with her and Julie nearly fell off her bar stool as they walked by, the intoxicating effects overpowering her. Without delay, she followed in their wake, her steps slow and unsure from the alcohol.

  The hallway was dark, cold, and devoid other than the couple. The man fumbled for the key as Julie caught up with them. The closer in proximity she came, the stronger the desire built. As she drew even with the two lovers, the magelust overwhelmed her, actions not her own. The pale woman shifted, noticing, turning towards her. Julie reached out and kissed the fair-haired woman who returned the affection, her tongue entering Julie’s mouth. The man, becoming aware, stopped fumbling with the key to gawk.

  The kiss broke for but a moment. “Hurry,” his companion urged.

  The big man lowered his shoulder into the door and with a quick shove it came open, the key still in his hand, and ushered both girls. Once inside, he barred the door so they would not be interrupted. He neared, timid before Julie broke from the woman and progressed to him. She guided his hands over her body and stood up on her toes to kiss him, her fingers running through his short dark blonde hair.

  The woman stripped and stepped into the bathtub. She knelt, washing her body before enticing Julie to follow suit. With deft hands, Julie’s robes opened. The man behind her caressed her neck with his lips, hands tugging at the fabrics, letting them fall to the floor, forgotten. Soft fingers peeled away her undergarments, the woman’s delicate press of lips tickled her hip bone. Hand in hand, she pulled Julie into the tub. Tepid water cascaded down her body as she turned to face the man outside the tub. A fragrant soap and rag tenderly washed away the day’s grime. The older woman knelt, her hands gliding down Julie’s body with a practiced hand. The man kept her attention, entertaining her with his tongue.

  When the woman discarded the rag, she stepped out and half guided, half-pulled Julie to her. “My name is Lily,” she breathed, kissing Julie. “This is my husband, Kam.” Her lips burned against Julie’s, gentle, soft. “Do you want to make love to me or my husband?”

  A rapid pulse gushed through her head, lost in the embrace, Kam temporarily forgotten. She snuggled the wife again, who smiled. “Perhaps both?” Lily purred.

  While enraptured with the woman, the man abandoned his clothes in haste. He jumped in, splashing water on him and quickly scrubbing his body before hopping out, his passions controlling him as much as the lust’s oppressive hold dominated Julie.

  He sauntered to the women lying on the bed, bodies entwined. Lily leaned over the
younger, Julie’s smaller breasts in her mouth, her fingers deep inside the younger woman, lightly exploring her glowing flesh. Kam came up behind his wife, tugging her to the bed’s edge, and entered her from behind. With a quick adjustment, Lily trailed her open mouth down Julie’s stomach, exploring the warmth between her legs.

  With her eyes shut, Julie let herself embrace the tender bliss. Shortly, Kam’s breathing turned to pants. Lily pulled away from Julie. “Don’t finish yet, my love,” she demurred. Guiding her husband to the bed, he laid on his back between the two. Lily reached across, drawing Julie close. “He likes this,” she said, taking her husband with her mouth.

  He gasped, his legs flexing straight. “Shades, Lily.”

  Animality rose within Julie as she coveted to partake. Her eyes glassed over. The older woman moved deftly, hand rising and falling with her mouth. Julie quivered, ached for more. A sweat stole over her body.

  Kam turned her head towards him. Julie ran her fingers over his broad chest, skimming his lips with her own. Within moments, his breath quickened and his wife stopped him short. When Lily finished, Julie mimicked her. Parting from his lips, her mouth trailing down his body, her face obscured by a veil of honeyed hair. With slow, methodical movements, she heard him sigh in relief, but his body tensed beneath her. Saliva dripped from her mouth, glistening his skin as she danced.

  Lily shifted, and often, Julie’s eyes darted towards her for approval. She hovered close, licking Kam’s legs, her smooth touch reaching his taut skin, taking him in her mouth. Fingers snaked through Julie’s honeyed tress, Kam’s hand riding her weaves in harmony. The closeness, the intimacy, drove her into a frenzy, her vim encouraging faster movements. Kam groaned, and Lily reached out, cupping Julie’s chin and pulled her away, exploring her mouth with her own, brushing past rosy lips.

  Lily’s hands reached down, massaging, eliciting a groan from the younger. “Climb on,” Lily whispered, steering her.

  Centering herself, she gradually sank, a moan hummed in her throat. Strong hands gripped her small hips, guiding her down before coming up. Lily’s glowing, satiny lips pursued hers, a velvet tongue enticing, her exploring fingers coaxed Julie.

  Sturdy hands hugged her waist, rocking her body back and forth. When his hands were not enjoying her breasts, they traversed to her firm, round bottom. Slow and measured deeds segued into grinding back and forth, taking him fully. Her body rose, goosebumps riddling her, she squeezed around him. She rushed toward the climatic end, her pulse rising, sweat gleaming on her breasts. Her nipples hardened, and breath quickened. The pace of Lily’s massaging fingers kept tempo until Julie let out several moans and her legs trembled. Eyes opened, she shuddered in ecstasy, swimming in a dizzy, crazed, drunk manner–but even that didn’t quite describe the occurrence.

  Lily smiled and guided her off her husband, lapping her husband where Julie vacated.

  Julie watched, her mouth working, wanting to participate. Shifting, Lily straddled him, pressing her face against Kam’s, her ample bosom tight against his chest. Julie touched her tentatively, reminding Lily of her presence, but the wife redirected her to Kam. While she enjoyed the man exquisitely, the craving drew her to Lily. She longed for her more than the husband.

  Obliging her wishes, Julie caressed his tongue with her own. He pulled her near, kissing her eagerly, his fingers of one hand snaking through her hair, the other gripped her taut buttocks.

  His hot breath tickled her ear. “I want to taste you.”

  Responsive, he guided her with sensitive hands. Hovering over him with Lily at her back, she lowered herself; his whiskers brushed the inside of her thighs. Her fingers curled his hair, looking down into his blue eyes. As he explored her, his hands cupped her breasts. She shuddered with his heat below her, the tendrils racing through her body, the rapaciousness pulsing through her head. Her body ached, she never wanted it to stop.

  After some time had passed, Lily shifted off, and Julie mirrored her. Through all their passion, Lily kept her husband from expending himself. Kam stood, and Lily took his place on the bed. Julie craved attention from the wife but she, a guest, waited, content to be a voyeur. Firm hands snagged her by the hips, dragging her away from a smiling Lily, pulling her from the bed. Her feet scarcely touched the floor before Kam’s hand pressed into her back, bending her over.

  He charmed her, her legs tightening, roving between the folds of her flesh and erogenous chasms yet touched. Her eyes focused on the flowing blonde locks, and she gasped, her spine tightening, eliciting a coy smile from Lily. Rapturous sensations curled through her, his pleasing frisk, tickling, strange. Kam left no part of her unexplored, untouched. A blissful dizziness spiraled her higher, almost to the threshold of nausea. His pliable touch danced to an enchanting and unheard music, his fingers sliding in rhythm. Moans seeped out of her, and she became slick. Her legs shook, knees buckled. Lily relished the myriad of expressions flashing across Julie’s face as she climaxed.

  The velvet warmth was replaced as Kam entered her. She sensed his proximity, his large frame dwarfing hers, experienced the desire in his velocity, mingling with her own. The magelust grasped her by the throat, a rough lover, and she hoped it never let go. Beneath him, she felt diminutive as he mounted her. His powerful hands held her hips, taking her as he liked. Her body shook with each thrust.

  Lily slid closer, curling her fingers in Julie’s hair. Amber eyes flashed up, the look of need flourishing. Moist lips indulged her. With enamored hunger and a permissive touch, Julie lowered her head between Lily’s legs, embracing her smooth skin. Fingernails pressed into her scalp, pleasure, with the promise of pain.

  Kam’s breathing become ragged, liberated whimpers of gratification accented by each motion. The excitement of each cadence drove Julie into his wife. Lily looked up and called to him.

  “Come in her, Kam.”

  In a blur, Julie couldn’t tell where one thrust end and the next began. His fervor amplified the magelust, surpassing all she had yet endured. She murmured with pleasure, eyes rolling. Lily gasped, encouraging her to continue. Her legs shook beneath her until she couldn’t hold herself up anymore. She sank into the bed, her hips driven into the edge of the mattress. Husband and lover climbed simultaneously. The culmination rippled through her, trembling into Lily.

  Suddenly, he slowed and moaned. Warmth filled her. Lily gasped, her legs quivered before tightening around Julie’s neck, holding her firmly in place. Kam slowed, his fevered skin pressed into her back, covered in sweat. He kissed her neck as he abated.

  The reprieve, though welcomed, left her unsatisfied. The arousal burned bright and hot like a meteor falling from the sky. She savored the near-tangible magic, like being high and drunk and remembering everything, and never sought the conclusion. The cupidity drove her into a craze, an unreachable itch beneath her skin, saturating her entire body. The stirring in the common room, while alluring, could not compete.

  She stood, noting Kam’s weight withdrawing, her legs shook and gave out. The nuisance of pain in her knees was forgotten with Kam’s manhood looming so near, the last of his seed clinging to him. Julie reached out to take him again, licking; Kam flinched, both in pain and pleasure. She swallowed, savoring the warmth, the saltiness, tasting his scent, virile. Lily knelt, gripping her shoulders to stop her.

  “You have to let him rest, hun,” Lily soothed. But the craving burned in Julie; she didn’t want to stop, and Lily relented, continuing without her husband.

  Before the night concluded, Julie participated in actions she never remembered experiencing before. She couldn’t recollect a kiss, yet it seemed familiar and knew this experience was not her first time because she did not bleed. While watching Lily, she mimicked her every move, memorizing the strange and bizarre, copulating in countless positions or contortions. Deep intimacy and unshakable trust seeded Kam and Lily’s panoptic repertoire. Kam entertained both women, every moment enjoyed by Lily even when Julie was slightly apprehensive. Magelust crashed into her, washin
g away her timidness, partaking in their carnality of pure gratification; Lily adored Kam and Julie vied for contention. The couple welcomed her into a life free of impiety, no act or desire shamed.

  The candles burned low, a molten waterfall of wax. With dawn a few hours off, exhaustion compelled a recess. A hint of a connection to the couple, a sense of belonging while in the throes of passion, overcame Julie. Lily lead her, and she heeded instruction, attempting to worship the husband as Lily did. The ease in which the couple shifted made their covetous guest try all the harder, undeterred by Kam’s eccentric appetites.

  Julie wanted more of Lily, but the wife made sure her husband never suffered neglect and took Kam with an ease that Julie could only venerate, yet that failed to deter her. A pride factor and wanting absolute pleasure compelled her.

  With energy expended, Kam laid in bed and fixed himself a concoction of herbs and alcohol, creating a chemical reaction before drying into a powder which he snorted up his nose. Julie witnessed the effects dance across Kam’s face as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he passed out. Curious, she wondered if her face looked similar while Kam pleased her.

  Lily invited Julie to join her in a bath, washing her gently. Though the magelust lingered, cognitive functions returned. The water was still warm and clear of the soapy murkiness. The last time she entered the tub, she was too preoccupied to notice runes etched along the edge, but she could only guess at their meanings, the art lost to her. Afterward, Julie slipped into her robes as Lily rummaged through her bag. Glass bottles clinked, her hand digging through it. Dressed, Lily came over to her and placed herbs in her hand.

  “What’s this?” Julie asked quietly.

  “One is moonleaf, it will keep you from getting pregnant this month. If I recall, Kam released his seed in you twice,” Lily explained.

  “Yes, but….”

  Lily gave her a coy smile. “I know. Kam did a number on you, but I hoped you fancied your time with us.” Julie smiled, nodding. “The second herb is dewgrass, to ease your soreness in the morning. Believe me, you’ll be sore.”