Mom thought about it. "Well," she said. "You're right. That's not something I should share with Diane and Robert. Erika is happy with this girl?"
"Woman, Mom," I said. "Her name is Sally. And yes, Erika is very happy."
"Then I am happy for her." She smiled. "And you were right. We were cold to Petra, and I feel horrible about it."
"Mom, we don't have to talk about this."
"Honey, I am sorry. Your father is too. We talked about it afterwards. It was just a shock."
I sighed. "Mom, I told you. You invited her. You knew she was a her."
"I know, Dear, but knowing is not the same as experiencing it. No, Felicia, you are going to listen to your mother and let me finish apologizing."
"Yes, Mom," I said meekly.
"You are clearly deeply in love. So is Petra. It was abundantly clear. It was equally clear she treats you very well. She has a very good job and was respectful to your father and I, even when we were cold to her. And so we're very sorry, and we want you to tell her that, and ask her if she will come for Easter. Or if we can come to Minneapolis and celebrate up there. I promise we will treat her far better than we did at Christmas."
I started to cry a little.
"Your father and I want you to be happy, and she makes you happy. You hadn't been happy for such a long time, especially working for that asshole you used to work for."
I stared at my mother and immediately stopped crying. I'd never heard her call someone a name like that.
"Well, dear, he was. I wasn't going to say anything while you were working for him, but I am so happy you don't work there anymore, and now I can tell you what I think of him."
"You only met him once."
"And he was rude to you," she said. "In front of your father and I. I can only imagine what he was like otherwise."
I reached out and we held hands for a moment.
"Thank you, Mom. I'll tell Petra. We'll get back to you about Easter. I don't know if she wants to visit her own family. She hasn't seen them for a while."
"If not Easter," Mom said, "Then as soon as we can arrange it."
Conversation moved to safer topics.
After lunch we went home and went through the recipes I brought. Mom said, "You can make all these?"
"Yes," I said. "I've become very fond of the rosemary chicken. When I make that, I do rosemary-encrusted potatoes as well. It's not very complicated so it's hard to ruin."
Mom laughed. "We should do some without the rosemary, in case your father doesn't care for it."
* * *
Everyone decided the food was much better with the rosemary than without. I told mom she could keep that copy of the recipe.
Dad also apologized for how they had treated Petra. I hugged him and thanked him.
After they were in bed, I popped home and kissed Petra. I couldn't stay in case Mom or Dad checked on me, but it was nice to get a hug and a kiss. "They apologized and want to see you at Easter. I told them we'd get back to them." I kissed her once more than went back to Des Moines.
In the morning I got up early and made crepes. Mom and Dad were impressed. "They're just thin pancakes," I said with a smile.
We spent the day together, basically just hanging out, spending time with each other. Dad asked for a little help with a project on the house. When he got me alone he asked me how I was doing financially.
"Good, Dad," I said. "Really good." I decided to tease him. "Dating the company director of human resources has been good for my career."
He laughed.
Dad took us to a nice steak restaurant near downtown. I ordered a bottle of wine for the table, which seemed to impress my parents. The food was good, service impeccable, and we had a nice time.
Again I popped home that night and accepted some affection from Petra before sleeping in my old bed in Des Moines. Since Petra and I had started sharing a bed, we hadn't spent any nights apart, and I missed her.
Thursday I supposedly had the early flight. I hugged and kissed my parents, and Dad dropped me at the airport. "Call when you get in," they said.
I stepped into the airport and walked straight to a restroom. The room was empty, and I immediately popped home.
* * *
I made Petra take me to the office for a serious session in the dojo. I asked her to work me as hard as she could without making me stiff for Friday. We did a lengthy yoga session to start, then she worked me for two hours. We finished with a light yoga session at the end. I was tired but felt good.
We went back home and made love all afternoon. We showered together then dressed to the nines. She took me to dinner and then we went dancing afterwards. Arriving home, the moment we were in the apartment, she pushed me to her tower, leaving my clothes behind. I started giggling as she popped in behind me and roughly pulled me to the bed.
"I remember something you did to me not that long ago," she said. She flipped me onto my stomach then told me, "If you move without permission, I'm going to have to punish you."
"Yes, Petra," I said.
She didn't use her magic at first. She started with teasing caresses, all over my body while talking a little dirty to me. I was soon squirming. Then she lifted my middle and slid several pillows under me before pushing me back down. The result was to raise my bottom in the air. She spread my legs.
I was quivering in anticipation. I loved when she took control. She had learned exactly how to tease me.
Her hand slipped between my legs. Her fingers found my labia and spread them, caressing my clit. I moaned.
She teased me for a while. Little touches, quick little touches, and I grew increasingly sensitive.
Then her fingers slide inside me and I almost came right there.
"Oh no," she said. "Not yet, Love."
She teased me for a long time. I started begging.
"Not yet, Felicia, or I'll have to punish you."
"Please."
"Not yet."
I squirmed, and then it was too much. I screamed her name as an orgasm blew through my body.
She waited until I was done quivering and shuddering.
"Naughty girl," she said. She touched me and all my muscles went limp. She started touching me again, and I couldn't do a thing.
I lost count of the orgasms she gave me.
Eventually she gave me control of my body back and I immediately latched myself around her, still shuddering from the most recent orgasm.
"I love you," I told her over and over. "I love you."
"I love you too," she said. "And I am so amazingly proud of you."
Personal Combat
Friday was a beautiful autumn day in Siriena. We started the day by all of us, excepting of course Renea and Kelly, making sure we were all clearly seen as having gathered in Petra's and my apartment. The security cameras would record us all having been present with no departures. There was no way Vincent could have us charged with trying to kill anyone; we clearly had all been in my apartment.
We all left our cell phones there. Even cell records would show us at the apartment.
Then we ported to Siriena, gathered the things we would need, collected Renea, and began the trip to the village. We left Karen and Sally behind and set up a constant stream of reporting in. If Vincent attacked the castle, we would know within less than fifteen minutes. He could scale the castle walls, but we didn't think he could knock down the towers in that time, so we could be back and deal with treachery.
Erika and Renea rode the horses.
We didn't take a direct route, wary of an ambush. There wasn't one. We arrived about ten-thirty and scoped the village out as best we could. It appeared we had gotten there ahead of Vincent.
Now the question was simple: would he show up?
I was nervous as hell. If Renea was nervous, she didn't show it.
I spent the time practicing some easy yoga poses, making sure I was well stretched out long before noon arrived.
A few minutes short of noon, Vincent, Jeremy, a
nd twenty men entered the village from the north. Beth popped to the tower to tell Sally and Karen to join us. The three of them went home to Earth and Renea summoned all of them. Once we were all there, our group stepped into the field on our side.
Vincent's men lined the field on his side. They were on foot. Petra and Andrea walked to the middle of the field. Vincent and Jeremy joined them. Erika then hopped back on her horse and raced around the perimeter of the field, pulling up in front of Vincent's men. She hollered something, then threw something to the ground at their feet and galloped back to us.
She was laughing when she arrived. She brought the horse to a snorting stop and jumped down. "That was fun!"
"What did you do?"
"Bindi taught me a few things. I told them this was personal combat between Vincent and his champion and Renea and her champion, and if Vincent fled like a cowardly dog, he wasn't worthy of their loyalty."
I laughed. "We'll see if it helps."
Petra and Andrea walked back to us. Petra looked pissed. She walked straight up to me and grabbed my both the shoulders. "What is wrong with you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You agreed to be his sex slave if he won?"
I laughed. "First, he's not going to win. Second, he has incentive to not kill me. That's an advantage for me, wouldn't you think?"
She glared at me.
"I got him to agree," I said. "He's here. He may cheat, but we got him here, and I think we're ready if he cheats."
Andrea intervened. "Each side will step fifty paces into the field. This still puts us at a significant separation. We start when Vincent draws his sword."
"Easy enough." I took a deep breath, then turned to Petra and gave her a crushing hug. She was trying not to cry. "Honey," I said. "I am going to kick his ass, and you know it. No way is he as good as you and Andrea."
I hugged everyone else, then hugged Petra again. Renea received her share of hugs, then we collected our swords and stepped into the field.
Both of us carried sheathed swords, but we didn't attach them to our belts. I intended to drop my sheath and would collect it later. I presumed Renea would do the same. We stopped at fifty paces.
"Felicia," Renea said, never taking her eyes from our enemy. "Whatever happens, thank you. If this goes badly, do not die on my account."
"You're welcome, and we are going to kick their asses."
Vincent and Jeremy arrived at their mark. They both wore swords sheathed at their waists and carried small shields.
"Oh hell," I said. "We didn't practice against shields."
"It's not going to matter," Renea said. "Look at that cocky swagger. Overconfident."
She flashed a smile at me.
"And the scabbards are going to trip them up. They aren't going to be as mobile as either of us. Keep that in mind. They can both probably run faster than we can, but they aren't as nimble."
Vincent drew his sword and yelled. Jeremy drew his, and the two began advancing towards us, a few feet apart.
I went right, Renea went left. We separated about twenty yards and stepped forward. Both men turned to Renea.
My heart was pounding in my chest. I just hoped I could hold it together long enough to finish this.
Renea and I stepped forward a little further, giving us a little more room behind us, then I stepped over to flank them a little more. Once they were in comfortable yelling distance, I began taunting them.
"Oh," I said. "Look at the big men waving their little swords around. Jeremy, that one looks kind of big. Are you over-compensating again?"
He tried to give me a rude gesture, but his hands were full. I laughed.
"That was pretty lame, Jeremy. Is that the best you can do?"
"Fuck off, bitch. We'll get to you," he yelled.
"Big words from such a pathetic man," I said. "Come on, you've wanted to get me ever since I kicked your ass last fall. That pathetic attempt at my apartment was laughable. And then even the girls here won't have anything to do with you. Maybe if you were a real man, things would be better for you."
He ignored me. The two continued to advance on Renea. She began leading them around the field. I continued to taunt Jeremy.
"Jeremy, does Vincent show you what a real man does to a girly girl like you?"
That did it. He immediately snarled and turned to me. "I'll show you a real man, you lesbo bitch!"
"Jeremy! Ignore her. The real target is right there." Vincent pointed with his sword. Jeremy turned back to Renea, but they were now separated slightly. I was pretty sure I could get greater separation.
"That's right, Jeremy, be the good lap dog and gang up on Renea. Cause everyone knows you're not man enough to take me on. I beat you once, and I'll beat you again. Fucking pansy. Oh, Non-fucking pansy. Did it fall off?"
"You bitch, you are going to die!" He turned to me.
Vincent immediately started yelling. "God damnit, Jeremy, ignore the bitch, you can have all the fun you want later."
"No one talks to me like that!"
"Come kiss my ass, Jeremy, and maybe I won't make you beg too hard for your life."
"You are mine, bitch!"
"Sorry, Jeremy," I said, "but I rather doubt you're man enough to claim me."
Vincent was screaming at him at that point.
Jeremy actually started running at me. Rather than going after Vincent, I waited. Jeremy held his sword in front of him like a lance and clearly intended to gore me.
I waited until the last moment, feinted towards the left, his sword side, then rolled right to his shield side. He tried to spear me with his sword, but he couldn't twist fast enough. I extended my sword as I rolled and gave him a huge slice across his left leg.
I rolled onto my feet and he was past me, well out of immediate attack range.
"Now!"
I popped out and was immediately pulled back. I spun swinging, but Vincent managed to use his shield. I popped away, was pulled back, fell to the ground while spinning, and scored a glancing slice across Vincent's right leg. I rolled to my feet and followed after him. He was limping, but his parries were fast. I circled around him until his back was to Renea.
He went on the offensive, and I parried and backed up, not letting him close. He limped once, and I reached out with the sword towards his head. He bashed my sword away and I narrowly avoided getting skewered. In the meantime, Renea had closed most of the distance.
I feinted left and his sword reached out. I wasn't where he expected, and I managed to nick his arm. He stepped back. Renea rose behind him and swung, removing his head.
We both stared at him as he fell. We turned to Jeremy, who immediately disappeared.
I looked at Renea. "I think we over trained."
She laughed, stepped forward, and hugged me. "You were kicking his ass," she said. There were tears in her eyes as she looked at me. "Thank you, Felicia."
I hugged her back. There weren't really words to say.
The cheering started. I separated from Renea, and we both turned to look at the body. I walked over and kicked it. "Asshole."
Petra reached me first and pulled me into a crushing hug, kissing me deeply. Hugs and kisses were passed around.
Sally walked up with our scabbards. Renea and I cleaned our swords on Vincent's clothes. Sally took my sword and started cleaning it carefully. Karen took Renea's.
We looked around. Vincent's army had dispersed.
I turned to Petra. "Sensei, my form was poor."
She looked at me and began laughing. "Oh honey, your form is perfect.
* * *
I popped home for a quick clean. I was still in the shower when Petra pulled me back. I stood in the field, stark naked, soap suds in my eyes. "Oops," said Petra.
I turned to her. "You did that on purpose! No way was that twenty minutes."
She walked over to me and hugged me. "Honey, it was forty-five."
"Ten more," I told her and popped back to the shower. I was able to ri
nse off, was partially dressed, and was pulling on the rest of my clothes when she pulled me back again.
When I got back, Kelly was waiting. Andrea had gone to get her. She pulled me into an immediate hug, squeezing the stuffing out of me. "Thank you," she said.
We stayed at the village for hours. We built a large funeral pyre and piled all the bodies from the village on it, with Vincent's in the middle. Sally wore her hazmat suit and had the gruesome job of rolling the bodies from the village into tarps.
Once all the bodies were piled onto the wooden scaffolding, Renea said a few words. "These poor people deserved better than this. You were a peaceful, hard working village, and we mourn this loss." She paused. "Vincent, you were a product of your father's. I regret the course events took."
She turned to Sally and nodded. Sally stepped forward with a gas can and thoroughly doused the wood we'd piled under the bodies. She pulled a box of matches from her pocket and lit it, then tossed it into the wood.
There was a "woosh", and the flames roared into the sky. Silently, we all watched the fire, huddled together, all of us touching. I stood with Petra on one side and Renea on the other, arms around shoulders and waists as we fit. Beth and Erika were behind me, also touching me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Erika's head on Sally's shoulder. Andrea and Kelly were hugging and leaning against Renea. Karen stood off to the side a little, but Beth grabbed her and pulled her close.
We watched the fire burn for a long time.
Eventually I asked, "What about Jeremy? Will he be a problem?"
Renea laughed before saying in a loud voice, "I, Renea of Siriena, hereby claim by right of conquest, all in this land that was Vincent Reynolds', known or unknown, and revoke passage to all others."
"What do you suppose the chances are Jeremy held his own property here?" Andrea asked.
"I guess we'll find out," said Petra. "I don't intend to borrow trouble before it comes."
"So now what?"
"Now?" said Renea. "We celebrate. Then it's time to build a real home here." She looked over at Petra. "Find me construction expertise. I want to expand the castle."
Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) Page 29
