Shadowborn

Chapter 106: Planning and Pleasure

Chapter 106: Planning and Pleasure

“Absolutely not!” Serena said hotly. “I’m not even having this conversation!”

“Serena—” I tried, but she wasn’t having it.

“No, Zaren. I’m not going to sit here and plan what to do in case you die.” She crossed her arms, blinking quickly. “I’d rather spend my time making sure that never comes to pass.”

I bit back a sigh that would only antagonize her and looked to Jack, but she just arched a brow. “Don’t look at me, I’m with blondie. This feels a lot like planning for failure.”

Tiana didn’t comment from where she sat, but I could see in her expression that she agreed. Allie looked the second most impartial in the room right after Cynthia, who had her best ‘business as usual’ expression on.

I ran a hand over my face. “Look, I get it. Trust me when I say this is the last thing I want to be doing right now, but if Ash is right then something is coming. Maybe soon, maybe not. Whatever the case, the way things are set up right now, if I were to die or be otherwise incapacitated then everything we’ve fought for falls apart. There are too many people depending on me right now to let that happen.”

Allie chewed her lip, but I knew from her expression that she was on my side. Serena saw the same thing and her cheeks darkened. “You can’t seriously be on his side with this.”

Allie ducked her head. “I’m not saying we go shopping for caskets or anything...” She looked to Tiana. “You’re the only one whose lived in Amesseria as long as I have. Can you honestly say that if our enemies got to Zaren things wouldn’t go right back to the things they were before?”

Tiana’s eyes fell to the floor. “No, I can’t.”

“And our enemies know that,” I pressed. “We’ve made our move. Made our intentions known. Right now the most surefire way to keep the status quo is to kill me. I’m not planning to just lie down and die, but if we set safeguards into place then we take away that avenue.”

“He’s right,” Allie agreed, though she didn’t sound happy about it. “Right now it would be worth the resources for a desperate attack aimed at Zaren. If we make sure what he’s built continues even if he’s killed or taken, that gambit becomes significantly less worth it.”

“The stakes are too high right now,” I said. “If it were just us things would be different, but it’s not. In the past I could throw myself in whatever situations I wanted because no matter what Rolar and the others were always around. Right now there’s nobody else in the position I am with the resources and the ability to fight for the people in this city that is actually willing to take on the status quo.”

I looked at each of them in turn. “I was the guy who took out the ones who thought themselves untouchable. I, more than anyone, know how quickly things can go to shit. How one move can put everything we’ve built in jeopardy. I’m not saying we’re rolling over and showing our belly, but we can at least put safeguards in place.”

They weren’t happy about it, but I could tell I was starting to win them over. I cupped Serena’s cheek and she shot me a glare that said she didn’t plan to fold quite so easily. “This isn’t like before,” I said softly. “I still plan to fight tooth and nail to always make it back to all of you, but I’ve killed too many men who thought they were untouchable to not worry. We still don’t know the full scope of our enemies reach, and until we do we need to plan for every outcome. Even the ones that suck.”

She glared at me for a moment longer before covering my hand with hers. With a huff, she turned towards Cynthia. “And you can make it known that these safeguards are in place? Discourage our enemies from trying to come after Zaren?”

Cynthia nodded. “I can get the word spread that Zaren has contingencies set in place without revealing what those contingencies are. If we make certain clerks aware of what we’re doing it’ll get back to who we want it to get back to.”

“Fine,” she said, pulling away. “We’ll do this, but only to keep them from coming after Zaren.”

I was more than happy to take what I could get. The conversation had already gone better than I’d expected, though judging by Serena’s expression I was going to have my work cut out for me making it up to her. Tiana and Jack, as well. Allie was the only one in the room as intimate with loss as I was, so while I knew she hated the thought of it, I knew she understood just as much.

Cynthia just nodded curtly and started to pull out papers. “What did you have in mind?”

Thankfully I’d already been mulling over how I wanted to do this, my discussion with Ash had just been the push I needed to actually get it done. “I want Tiana in charge of the adventurers. She’s done the most work on that front already anyways. Jack is S rank, so she’ll have the most pull when it comes to the Accords front, so I want her on that. Serena will still need to take more of a liaison role with the temple district, so that’s already mostly in place. And I want Allie to be made heir to House Nocht.”

Allie’s brows shot towards her hairline. “Me?!”

I nodded. “Tiana and Jack both have families that could get caught in the crossfire if I choose them.” It sucked that Allie’s parents dying made her the best candidate, but it was what it was. “Anyone they could try to use for leverage is already in the household.”

Jack let out a relieved breath and Tiana nodded in agreement. Cynthia merely got to writing. “I can make it look like your plans go even deeper as well to further discourage attacks against you and the others.”

“Do it,” I said quickly, knowing it would appease Serena at least a little.

Cynthia pulled out several stacks of paper. “I figured you’d want to do this sooner or later so I’ve already got the groundwork laid.” Though they dragged their feet a little, the others all walked over to sit opposite Cynthia while she passed out papers and pens. “I’ll set things up so that you all have official positions now, that way if the worst does come to pass then the transition will be mostly seamless.”

Allie shook her head. “Heir to one of the most powerful houses in Amesseria. Can’t say I ever saw that coming.”

Serena laughed dryly. “I was just the daughter of a seamstress that worshiped Allura in secret and now I’m her highest ranking priestess in the district. I understand your disbelief.”

Tiana chuckled. “I spent so long wishing I could do something about the state of the guild. Never thought I’d actually get the chance to do it.”

Jack just grinned, slipping on a bracer that would let her sign things without setting them aflame. “I’ve got no idea what you’re all on about, I always knew I was destined for greatness.”

The knot in my gut loosened ever so slightly. “Thank you, all of you.” I squeezed the shoulders of Allie and Tiana and pressed a kiss to Serena’s forehead and bumped my fist against Jack’s scalding hot shoulder. “I know it sucks, but this is the right move.”

“I’ll get them all squared away, sir,” Cynthia said. “Once everything is in place I’ll find you for the final steps.”

I figured giving them some space to deal with things was for the best and took my leave. To my surprise, Karina was waiting for me outside. She wore one of my coats tied tightly around her waist. It was large enough on her that it hung nearly to her knees, and her legs below the hem of the coat were bare.

When she saw me she straightened. For a brief moment she slipped behind the subservient demi-human mask I knew she’d spent most of her life wearing, but after a second’s hesitation she shed it. “Zaren,” she said, somewhat uncertainly.

“Karina. To what do I owe the pleasure?” I asked.

My brows arched when her cheeks darkened. She ducked her head and rubbed her arm, biting the inside of her cheek. “I was wondering where everyone went. When I asked about you, I got pointed in this direction.”

“Everything alright?”

Her swirling silver eyes flicked up to meet mine and I was surprised by the amount of heat in them. I suddenly found myself very curious as to her attire. “You tell me,” she said with a shrug. “I couldn’t help but notice the mood in the manor, and Rhallani seemed to think you could use a distraction.” She started back towards the main bedroom, her bare feet silent on the carpet.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I fell into step beside her. If I wasn’t sure what was happening before, I was now. “Is that so?”

She was definitely blushing now. “Is something happening?”

“Nothing new, just preparations.” I jerked my chin towards my coat wrapped around her. “You girls aren’t going to start taking my coats too now, are you? Because if so I need to make a trip to the tailor.”

Her blush only deepened, which had me trying to unobtrusively adjust myself while we walked. “I might,” she said coolly. “They’re quite comfortable, I must say.”

Mental note: buy more coats.

While the reason behind her visit was rapidly becoming clear, it was evident she was wound tight. I figured I’d give her a moment to calm her nerves. “How have you been doing? Settling in well?”

Some of the tension bled from her shoulders. “I’m not sure I’ve felt this comfortable anywhere in... well, ever,” she admitted. “I’ve never had this level of freedom or privacy.”

“That’s good to hear. I hope this place is starting to feel a bit more like home.”

The corners of her lips turned upwards. “It feels more like a home than that palace ever did. Jayme feels the same.”

“Where is she? Usually you two are attached at the hip.”

That seemed to make her blush even harder than the coat comment had. Interesting.

“Jayme’s been having the time of her life. She’s been training with Noelle, Jack, and Zoey near constantly.”

It didn’t escape me that she avoided answering the question. “Have you had time to work with Tiana at all?”

Karina’s answering smile was wicked. She wrapped an arm around Jayme’s front and slid a hand between them, then suddenly Jayme was bucking and writhing, whimpering even harder than before. The plea was clear, even through the gag.

“In her quest to find the most effective method of exploiting her trance ability,” Karina said, paying no attention to the bucking girl in her arms, “Rhallani had a few special toys meant to stimulate her. Ones that, when properly supplied with mana, do some interesting things. Such as vibrate.”

“You are a cruel, cruel mistress,” I said, trailing a hand up Jayme’s inner thigh.

“I always make sure to reward her for her patience,” Karina protested, though she smiled as she did it. She did something that had Jayme’s body going rigid, arching against Karina with her face tucked into the Seelie’s neck. “I haven’t quite trained her to cum just from her ass alone just yet, but it’s such a good way to get her all hot and bothered for the fun stuff.”

I could only shake my head. I shifted so I was between Jayme’s legs and she turned her face towards me, pleading once again through her gag. Karina pressed her lips to Jayme’s neck with a smile. “As much as I love watching her squirm, she is actually reaching her limit. She should be just about ready to blow, if you’d be so kind Zaren.”

I finally let my hand dip between her thighs. I stroked her outer lips, which were dripping with her arousal, before slipping a finger inside her. Her hot, slick walls clamped down on the intruder immediately, sucking me in greedily. Jayme arched again, trying to use Karina as leverage to ride my finger, but I was already pressing my thumb to her clit and curling the finger inside her towards me.

Jayme screamed through her gag as her climax ripped through her. Karina held her tight, her lips pressed to Jayme’s ear while her whispers were absorbed by the silence around Jayme’s ears. Jayme was clamped so tightly around my finger that all I could do was rub circles on her clit while she rode out an incredibly intense orgasm.

Eventually her body went limp, though her chest heaved. Spasms occasionally rocked her body and her walls would clamp down on me every so often. I wished I could hear whatever it was Karina was whispering in Jayme’s ear, but the enchanted blindfold kept her words a secret.

Karina must have seen the look on my face because she smiled wide and reached behind Jayme’s head. The next second the blindfold fell away and Jayme was blinking rapidly, trying to acclimate to the light once more. When her eyes fell on me she stilled, the worry in her gaze clear.

“See?” Karina said, nuzzling the spot behind Jayme’s ear, “told you he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

To prove her point, I started slowly pumping my finger in and out of her. Another whimper slipped past her gag, but her hips started rolling as if trying to get me even deeper inside her. “You’re gorgeous,” I told her, “and you don’t need to worry about being judged here. What happens in the pit stays in the pit if that’s the way you want it.”

At my words, Jayme practically melted into Karina’s embrace. That made Karina’s smile even wider. “I think Zaren here is wearing far too many clothes. How about you, pet?”

Jayme clenched around my fingers and nodded eagerly. With a chuckle, I pulled my finger free of her folds. She made a disappointed sound, but Karina quickly cut that off by replacing my hand with her own. “Shh, it’s alright. I think you’ve earned more than just a single orgasm.”

Jayme’s eyes rolled back in her head at Karina’s ministrations, but with visible effort she dragged her attention back to me. I stood with a laugh and pulled my shirt over my head. Both of their gazes devoured my chest greedily, and their eyes captured every second of me undoing my belt and letting my pants fall until I was only in my undergarments.

“Should I keep going?” I teased.

They both nodded vigorously, so I stripped off my last article of clothing and freed my aching erection. They watched with wide eyes as it bobbed. Jayme made a whimpering sound and Karina nodded. “I agree wholeheartedly. I didn’t think it’d be that big.” She did something that made Jayme buck again. “I’m really going to enjoy watching that thing split you in two.”

Jayme’s entire body jerked and she looked at her friend incredulously. Karina just smiled. “You’ve been such a good girl, I figured I’d reward you with the first round. How about it, Zaren? Feel like showing her what good behavior gets her?”

I was surprised by the ache her words sent southward. Seemed I liked this kind of thing a bit more than I realized, but that was a revelation to think on later. “I certainly do.”

Grinning wide, Karina laid back. Jayme’s eyes bugged a bit a she fell along with the Seelie, but Karina kept a firm grip on her. Once they were situated she pulled Jayme’s legs apart, hooking her long, toned legs over Karina’s plump thighs before spreading Jayme’s lower lips with her fingers.

Jayme turned so red I thought she might pass out, but her eyes never left mine. She was embarrassed, sure, but I felt no fear from her. The need in her eyes was clear, and she hadn’t done anything to make me think she didn’t want to be here right now. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I knelt down between their legs and slid the head of my cock against her folds. Jayme made a needy whine and rocked her hips against me, banishing any doubts that might have been lingering. Karina was just high enough to watch and was doing so with rapt attention. “Fuck her, Zaren. Wreck her pretty little pussy.”

Fuck. She didn’t have to tell me twice. Her words from earlier about not being gentle played through my mind. I lined myself up before slamming my hips forward, sinking all the way into her with a single thrust. I could feel the vibrations of the toy in her ass through the thin inner wall and it nearly made me finish on the spot. Jayme didn’t make a sound as her head fell back, her eyes rolled into her head and her body taut as a bowstring. The tension seemed to hang in the air for a second before her legs shot up and wrapped around my waist and she came with a scream.

Karina, it seemed, was no longer feeling merciful. Jayme hadn’t even made it past the peak of her climax before the Seelie’s fingers were attacking Jayme’s clit. Karina’s eyes shot to me and the command in them was clear. I pulled my hips back, barely making it halfway before Jayme’s legs were pulling me back into her. I set a brutal pace, slamming our hips together hard enough that Karina had to adjust her grip to keep hold of the blonde.

Now that the silencing blindfold was gone I could hear the words Karina whispered into Jayme’s ear. “Look at how well you’re taking his cock,” she whispered. “You’re doing such a good job, pet. Come for me again, don’t hold back. You’ve earned it. There we are, that’s a good girl.”

She kept going, her words doing as much as her fingers in driving Jayme into orgasm after orgasm. With how keyed up I’d gotten before we’d even reached this point I could already feel my limit approaching. As if she could feel it coming, Karina looked up at me through her lashes. “Rhallani’s already hooked us up with crests, so you’re free to try and breed her all you like.”

I didn’t stand a chance. She’d barely finished her sentence before I was buried as deep inside Jayme as I could reach, spilling myself inside her. Jayme held me as tight as she could with her legs while Karina pulled my head down so she could lock her lips with mine.

I was panting a little when I finally pulled away, but Karina was already moving. She pushed my chest and I let myself fall back onto the bed. She whispered something in Jayme’s ear, kissed her cheek, then laid her panting, blissed out friend against the bed. Then she was straddling me, sitting on my lap with my still-hard erection pressed against her front.

“Rhallani wasn’t kidding,” she said, brows raised, “it really doesn’t quit, huh?”

I chuckled. “No it does not.”

“Good.” She lifted herself up and dragged a finger down the front of her panties. Where her finger touched the panties split apart, revealing her glistening slit. She grinned at my expression before lowering herself down until the head of my cock—still slick with both mine and Jayme’s juices—was pressed against her opening. “Valax silk apparently has all kinds of fun properties.”

Then she was sliding down. I groaned as her walls enveloped me. She felt even hotter than Jayme had, and there was a faint tingle as her own juices mixed with the ones already coating me. I made a mental note to have Rhallani look into the specifics of Seelie biology, because I very suddenly felt even harder than I had a minute ago.

“Fucking hells you feel good inside me,” she panted, caressing her breast. She started gyrating her hips and moaned. “Oh fuck. I’m starting to see why your girls are always jumping your bones.”

She started riding me unsteadily, bracing herself with her hands on my chest. “You feel fucking amazing, too,” I groaned, gripping her hips and helping guide her. It didn’t take long at all for her to find a rhythm that had her moaning each time our hips met. Her moans turned to cries when I started thrusting up into her. I kept one hand on her hips while the other explored her body.

Where Jayme was hard just about everywhere but her chest, Karina was soft and smooth from head to toe. She was no less sensitive, though, even if she tried to hide that fact. She lasted longer than Jayme, but I still had her collapsed against my chest and cumming around my cock long before I reached my limit.

Before she could recover I flipped us, pinning her beneath me and fucking her into the bed. She shot me a glare, though she voiced no complaint. She wrapped a leg around me and did her best to fuck me right back while her nails dragged down my back hard enough I wouldn’t be surprised if they drew blood. I fisted her hair and pulled her head to the side so I could pepper her neck with kisses and it wasn’t long before she was screaming out her climax beneath me.

Once she recovered from that one she pushed on my chest. I fell back so that I was sitting up with her in my lap and she used our new position to ride me, chest to chest, while I attacked her neck with my lips and my teeth. “Fuck me, right there!” she screamed as I hit a spot deep inside her that had her clenching around me again.

This time, when she fell apart, I joined her. I held her tight to my front as her orgasm milked me dry, pumping her full until she was boneless and limp in my arms. “Mmmn,” she hummed, “something tells me I’ll sleep good tonight.”

I chuckled. “Done already?”

She scoffed. “Not a chance.”

A pointed, muffled voice drew both of our attention. Jayme had managed to get back into a kneeling position and was glaring at Karina with a slightly peeved expression. Karina gasped dramatically. “Oh dear, did I forget to take the toy out? Silly me.”

Jayme growled as threateningly as she could manage while bound and gagged, and the sight of it made Karina clench around me. She pulled me down for one last kiss before she stood, gasping a little when I slipped free. She slid a hand between her legs and her glowing white magic made a barrier over her pussy lips. She winked at me, then walked over to where Jayme knelt.

“Seems Zaren’s made quite the mess of me.” She reached and untied the gag, then tossed it aside. Jayme made a relieved sound and worked her jaw while Karina grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her so that Jayme’s back was to me.

Jayme struggled to turn on her knees without falling, then Karina was lowering herself to sit against the edge of the pit. “I think if you want to be untied you’re going to have to earn it.”

I was half expecting Jayme to argue, but she merely dipped her head. “Yes, mistress,” she said, her voice scratchy from screaming out orgasm after orgasm. Then she tensed and looked back over her shoulder.

Karina’s smile widened. “Come here,” she said, pulling Jayme down. She pulled some of the thicker pillows over so that Jayme’s front was on them and buried the blonde’s face between her legs, banishing her magic. Her position left her completely exposed to me, revealing the glowing gem of the toy in her ass and the cum still dribbling from her slit.

“Zaren, be a dear and top off her toy, will you?” Karina asked, running her hands through Jayme’s hair.

I sank to my knees behind Jayme and did as she asked, pushing on the toy a little as I did. Jayme groaned. “Mistress—” she started, the word spoken more like a plea.

“Shh, I know,” Karina said, pushing her head back down. She sighed happily as Jayme went to work, then her eyes found me. “Feel free to enjoy yourself back there, Zaren.”

I chuckled softly, then I was sliding back into Jayme’s folds. She moaned, pushing back against me as much as she could without pulling away from Karina, and Karina’s eyes fell closed.

“Yeah,” I said, already starting to work myself in and out of Jayme, “something tells me you two are going to fit right in around here.”