Lost at Sea book 1 Where There s a Will chapter 2
- 4 years ago
- 36
- 0
“Bella!” A lilting woman’s voice called her name from the darkness. She jolted unexpectedly at the noise, then smoothed her skirts to sweep away the spike of worry. Her heart was suddenly pounding, which annoyed her. She sighed at her own foolishness. She was obviously still just jittery.
“Yes?” she answered back.
Jack’s tent was still lit from within and threw off enough light that Bella was able to recognize Doctor Kalfou’s form as she walked closer. The Doctor’s white clothing was fairly unmistakable in the dark. “Wanted to check on you, I,” she said, stepping close enough that they could more easily see each other. “Had any other incidents today, you?”
“That’s a polite way of putting it,” Bella laughed. “No. I have occasional moments, but nothing like earlier.”
“Moments like what?” the Doctor asked gently.
“Oh, you know, a little burst of apprehension and worry. I’d imagine a lot of people are having those today,” Bella shrugged.
“Anxiety?” Doctor Kalfou asked. “Fear that seems new and sudden, and not proportionate to the things that are happening?”
Bella’s expression became pensive. “No, not new. It’s the same really, just more frequent today. I’m sure it will pass soon enough.”
“The same?’ Doctor Kalfou asked. “These feelings precede yesterday’s attack?”
“Oh yes, they just get stronger for a while when dangerous things happen,” Bella answered in a blithe tone that belayed the gravity of the topic. “This is fairly normal for me. I tried to tell you that earlier.”
Doctor Kalfou seemed surprised and concerned, but nodded. “Seem to handle it well, you.”
“I’m used to it,” Bella reassured her. “I’ll let you know if it gets bad again.”
Doctor Kalfou wanted to keep asking more questions, but she was also glad to have less work to do. After they were safely off this island, she could push Bella further about where her long standing fears came from. Until then, letting Bella handle things the way she was used to seemed fine. “Please do,” she smiled.
“Oh, I’m actually glad you came by!” Bella said suddenly. A conspiratorial smile played across her lips. “Earlier, you said you wanted to learn more about my practice. I’m going to be performing a ritual tonight. Want to join us?”
One of Doctor Kalfou’s eyebrows lifted. “Us?”
“Will and I,” Bella answered, gesturing to their tent.
“What ritual, and what would you need me to do?” Doctor Kalfou asked, sounding curious, but a bit apprehensive.
“I’m only going to be gathering and storing energy. Well, transferring it too, but that’s basically the same in this context,” the witch shrugged.
“How?” Doctor Kalfou asked, sounding like she already knew the answer.
“Sex,” Bella grinned.
Doctor Kalfou looked amused. “So, to be clear, asking, you, if I want to have sex with you, and with Mister Sterling?”
Bella nodded. “Mmmhmm.”
Doctor Kalfou stood in thought for a moment. Sterling did have a roguishness and a competence that she found quite attractive, and Bella was luscious. Still, there were things to consider. Bella was a patient, of sorts. So was Will, until his hand healed. Would this be a breach of professional ethics? She knew her professors would say yes. She also knew her grandfather would laugh at her for even worrying about it, and he was a more skilled healer than any of her old teachers could ever hope to be. Then there was the curiosity brought on by her other profession. This was an opportunity to learn a new form of magic. She simply could not pass that up. “Want to, yes,” she smiled. “First though, must tell you something, I.”
“Tell me what?” Bella smiled, excited to see where this was going.
“Never been with a man, I,” Friday admitted.
“But you want to?” Bella asked.
“Yes, but not tonight,” Friday said firmly.
“Saving yourself for marriage?” Bella asked, deciding to keep her opinions on the concept of virginity to herself.
Friday laughed. “Not at all. Saving myself for the right ritual.”
“I don’t understand,” Bella said, tilting her head in confusion.
“There is power in that blood, and it can only be gathered once,” Friday explained, surprised that Bella didn’t know.
“Ooooh!” Bella said, finally understanding. Then she pursed her lips in thought. “You know you don’t have to bleed, right? The maidenhead is pretty stretchy. If you’re careful, it doesn’t bleed at all. The whole idea that a woman’s first experience with penetration is some kind of painful right of passage is completely made up.”
“Oh, yes, know that, I” Friday agreed. “Misunderstand, you. Want to bleed, I.”
Bella blinked, then nodded. “The power.”
“Yes,” Doctor Kalfu nodded. “So, not tonight.”
“I know a little about that aspect of blood magic because it overlaps with my own practice, but I never cared about it much,” Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully. “In my practice, the first time having sex is important, and power can be gathered from it, but the blood isn’t really necessary. I wonder where the differences come from.”
“An interesting thing to discuss,” Friday said. “Another time.”
Bella chuckled. “Sounds good to me. Want to get ready?’
“What will we be doing?” Friday asked.
“For now, just drawing on each other, mostly,” Bella said with another wide grin. She pulled open the tent flap like a doorman.
“Mostly?” Friday asked as she ducked into the tent.
Bella bit her lip in anticipation. “Mostly.”
Jack sat cross-legged, naked on her bedroll, enjoying the warm summer night air on her skin and listening to the conversation happening right outside her tent. She could hear Bella’s voice, and the doctor’s. She couldn’t make out all of what they were saying, but she knew Bella well enough to know when she was seducing someone. It was the same tone, the same forthright candor mixed with undisguised lust. It was what Bella had just done to Jack.
There was a part of her that loved it. It was so exciting, refreshing, familiar. It was Bella. She remembered being someone who was always proud and excited to watch Bella expertly draw someone in. She wasn’t that person anymore. Now, hearing Bella seduce another person hurt. It reminded her what she’d lost, and the person she’d had to become.
It had taken her a very long time to get used to this new version of herself, and even longer to realize that she now possessed quite a few merits that the old Jack would have considered weak. It was strange how by forcing herself to become harder, she’d discovered the cracks in herself that had allowed her to become softer.
Now she didn’t know who she was.
She idly stroked the ring on her finger. That ring. The one that had changed everything. Quinn’s ring. Will’s ring. The one that bound them all together. She loved it and hated it. It was her greatest success, and her greatest failure. It was a loop of secrets.
Quinn’s arms wrapped around her from behind. Anyone else would have caught an elbow in the face for that, but she could feel him. She knew he was there before he was really there. She leaned back into the crook of his neck. He tilted his head and kissed her on the temple.
“You are troubled,” he rumbled.
“I don’t know what to do,” Jack sighed.
“Mister Sterling, or Miss Fortuna?” Quinn asked.
“Both. Bella, currently. Will and I did fine today. It keeps flip flopping. One of them will be supportive, and the other one will get mad. I think it’s the island,” Jack said, talking half to herself.
“I do not understand,” Quinn said.
“On the ship, things felt normal and safe. So, after I pushed him a little, Will was willing to say what was on his mind, which, of course, led to a great deal of ... discomfort. I expected it. Honestly, it was a good start. Bella knew that, and I think she decided to keep what she was feeling mostly to herself, so she could be supportive of both of us, and not give me both barrels at the same time,” Jack said, talking out her thoughts.
“Kind of her,” Quinn said.
Jack nodded and let her stream of consciousness continue. “Now it’s the opposite. This island is dangerous, so Will isn’t talking about our problems. He’s being cordial, and professional. Now, it’s a job. There’s no place for bickering when you need to work with someone to survive. Bella isn’t like that. This isn’t anything she’s used to, so she’s stressed and trying to find something to do with that tension. She’s looking for support, and also looking for a fight. With her, nearly everything is connected to sex in some way or another, so that’s mixed into both issues. It is all very tangled.”
“Which is the source of your current troubles,” Quinn said softly.
“It has been an emotionally trying few days,” Jack laughed mirthlessly.
“And now?” Quinn prodded.
“Now we have to have sex to fuel Bella’s magic, so she can do some kind of divination in the morning before Will and I head out,” Jack explained.
“That does not sound terrible,” Quinn said, a hint of mirth in his stoic tone.
Jack sighed. “It just feels so separate now. She was here. There was so much ... wanting. A closeness I’d missed so much was finally there again. Then she left, and now her wanting is aimed at someone else, and mine is still aimed at her, but not able to reach.”
“Jealousy,” Quinn said.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I think it is more like envy, really. I don’t wish Bella wasn’t doing what she’s doing, and I’m not upset at the people who are receiving her attention. I just wish I could be part of it,” Jack said bitterly. She leaned forward a bit and rubbed her temples.
“This is closer than you were,” Quinn reminded her. He reached forward with his strong hands and took over the work she’d started, rubbing his strong fingertips into her scalp.
“That makes it worse. It is so much harder to ignore now,” Jack swallowed. She let herself relax, holding her face up with her hands as his fingers pulled the tension out of her.
“Is this not what you wanted?” Quinn asked.
“It is. I feel like steps in the right direction are being taken by all of us. I just want it to move faster,” Jack said bitterly. “This is the hard part.”
“The most satisfying victories are the ones hardest to win,” Quinn advised, moving his hands to her shoulders, massaging with the skill of a practiced expert.
Jack huffed out a small laugh. “Why do I find your insufferable warrior poet nonsense so endearing?”
“Because it is,” Quinn said simply.
Jack turned around, squirming into his embrace and straddling his hips. He helped lift her and settle her, his supernaturally strong hands lifting from beneath her toned thighs. “Careful of all the artwork,’ Jack said, gesturing to the sigils Bella had drawn on her body. Quinn nodded.
She took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly. “You never judge me.”
“I do judge you. I judge everyone,” Quinn corrected. “You most of all.”
Jack rested her forehead against his. “Well you never make me feel like you are judging me. You’re always supportive, and you always let me make my own choices.”
“How could I judge you properly if I were making your choices for you?” Quinn asked, beginning to massage her neck and shoulders again.
Jack sighed and relaxed into his touch, then her brow raised as something dawned on her. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Never, Mistress,” Quinn said, his black eyes revealing a faint mischief. “I simply want you to have a full understanding so your choices are informed.”
“So you can judge me?” Jack said, a challenge in her voice.
“Yes,” Quinn said with a small smile.
His fingers probed her tense shoulder blades, threatening to distract her but she remained focused. She glared at him for a moment, then stopped. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out for a moment. Then she shook her head. “How did you do that?”
“You will have to be more specific,” Quinn said.
“Make me feel better!” Jack laughed.
“I am a well practiced masseur,” Quinn said.
“Not that,” Jack said in exasperation. “My mood.”
“Ah. Yes. I have noticed you react well to challenge,” Quinn said simply. “So I challenged you.”
“You did?” Jack’s brow furrowed. “When?”
Quinn “You claimed I do not judge. I informed you of the contrary. I challenged your statement.”
Jack rolled her eyes. “That’s all?”
“Yes,” Quinn said.
“I am that easy to manipulate?” Jack asked, her tone challenging, but a bit afraid to hear the answer.
“Sometimes,” Quinn admitted.
“Alright. Why now? What makes me so easy to manipulate, currently?’ Jack asked, suddenly curious and still feeling a bit contrary.
“Currently, your convictions are not firm, Mistress,” Quinn explained.
“Use more words,” Jack said, a hint of command in her voice. “A lot more.”
“Some of this is conjecture. I did not, and do not, know your mind completely,” Quinn prefaced. “Jealousy is out of character for you. I suspect you do not believe your feelings are justified, but were indulging in the melancholy because you feel you deserve it.”
Jack slowly raised one eyebrow. “Keep going.”
“You still feel the need to punish yourself. You frequently look for reasons to do so. When you cannot find reasons born out of convictions, you find reasons born out of interpersonal relationships. You do not bear Miss Bella or Mister Sterling any ill will, so when you say things about them that harbor resentment, I know they are not things you truly believe.”
“You don’t think I’m actually jealous, so it was easy to distract me from feeling that way?” Jack summarized.
“Yes, Mistress,” Quinn concurred.
“By challenging me? About something ... pointless,” Jack huffed out a laugh.
“Something without consequence,” Quinn corrected.
Jack looked down at Quinn’s chest, thinking for a moment. “That’s the clincher, isn’t it. I’m so tired of consequences.”
“Yet, you are still strongly motivated by challenge,” Quinn elaborated.
“I’m still impressed it took so little,” Jack said. “I didn’t know you were allowed to contradict me like that.”
“I would only presume to contradict when I believe doing so is the best way to serve you,” Quinn said.
“How does tricking me out of feeling bad serve my goals?” Jack asked.
“I have observed that for many humans, guilt manifests as self-loathing. In some humans, those feelings inspire the desire to change. Admirable humans succeed in changing but, without fail, the transition from guilt to change requires a reinvention of the self. During that time, when a person is rejecting who they once were, but have not yet decided who they will become, humans become ungrounded. They lack conviction in all things, so-”
“So they do things, and feel things, that aren’t based on who they really are,” Jack finished.
Quinn shook his head. “Who they wish to be, mistress. Who they are, in those moments, is exactly what they are feeling and doing.”
Jack scowled. “Well that is disheartening.”
“Is it not reassuring to know that the heartache you were feeling is unnecessary?” Quinn asked.
Jack closed her eyes in frustration. “Maybe, but now I know I was using it to fill in the gaps caused by having no idea what I’m doing.”
“You do,” Quinn said firmly.
“I clearly do not,” Jack countered. “If I did, I wouldn’t keep feeling like this.”
Quinn shook his head again. “Untrue. You are mistaking the uncertainty of not knowing what choice to make with the uncertainty of guilt.”
Jack gave him a flat look. “I’d say in this case, they’re rather the same thing.”
“No,” Quinn said. “No more than clouds and rain are the same.”
“Can’t have one without the other,” Jack said pointedly.
Quinn said nothing. What Jack had said wasn’t precisely true, but for the purposes of the metaphor, it was close enough. He waited.
Jack sighed after a moment. “So I need to get out from under the clouds.”
Quinn gave her a small smile.
“Alright,” Jack nodded to herself. “So I just need to focus on doing things that make me feel less guilty. I still somewhat feel like I should not have to feel guilty at all, but I do.”
“Your feelings of guilt do not come from your actions, Mistress,” Quinn said.
Jack squeezed her eyes shut like she was in pain. “No, they come from how Will and Bella feel about my actions. Because they don’t understand. And I can’t tell them. It’s so damned circular.”
“What can you do about it?” Quinn prodded.
“Try to earn their trust back, without focusing on the past. Atone, I suppose. Help them,” Jack looked like she was finally coming out of her melancholy. She gave Quinn a small smile. “I can do that. Thank you.”
Quinn straightened a bit, looking satisfied. “You stated that tonight we will be assisting Miss Fortuna with a ritual.”
Jack looked at her green paramour for a long moment, her eyes slowly widening. “You were distracted me out of a bad mood and gave me something else to focus on, so that we could have sex?”
“Yes,” Quinn nodded. “Has it worked?”
Jack hit him with a pillow.
“You have an ... an Angel bound inside you?” Alexandra’s mouth was agape. She felt like she was dreaming. Even after hearing it from both of them, more than once, she couldn’t wrap her head around what they were saying. “How are you talking? How come you’re the one in control? I’ve known you for years! How are you still alive?”
“I’m not a Vessel,” Caine shrugged.
“Of course you are! If you are host to an angel, you’re a Vessel! That’s what being a Vessel means!” Alexandra said, flabbergasted.
“That’s not all it means, and it’s not the only way to do it.” Caine sighed. “Turns out, there’s better ways to do it than to resign some poor zealot to madness and death.”
“I’ll not have you blaspheming, Caine,” Alexandra admonished him. “Tell me without being insulting.”
“Fine, but it’ll take longer,” Caine snarked. “Have you heard stories of Chimeric people?”
Alexandra’s brows knitted in thought. It had been a long time since she had studied soul theory as an Acolyte. She knew the basics though. “Yes. They are very rare. People that should have been twins, but are born with one body instead. Doctors claim one twin absorbs the other in the womb, but that seems far too sinister a description for my taste. From what I understand, sometimes they are born with patches of skin or hair that are different colors, or two different eyes. They usually have strange medical conditions, but are otherwise normal people. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Right. They’re one person even though they have two souls,” Caine said with a nod.
“I believe that is a matter of some debate among the Order of the Chalice,” Alexandra corrected. “They seem to have two souls, but those souls are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate them. Sometimes it is difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins, much like their corporeal bodies.”
“Whatever,” Caine shrugged. “That’s not the point. You understand the concept, so can we move on?”
“Very well, continue,” Alexandra conceded.
“It’s like that. I’m him. He’s me,” Caine shrugged, struggling to find the words. “We’re different people, but we’re the same too. Like you said, it’s impossible to tell where one of us ends and the other begins. Most of the time we’re together, but sometimes we separate. Usually it feels like both. If we concentrate and meditate we can fully combine, or fully separate. Divinations force him to separate. It’s not comfortable.”
“Normally you are superimposed, but when I look at you with the Sight it isolates you both?” Alexandra suggested.
“Yeah,” Caine nodded. “Good word for it.”
“Like an out of body experience?” Alexandra asked, starting to understand.
“Something like that. Yeah, actually. That’s a good way to describe it, with one big difference. When we separate I can’t see through his eyes anymore.” Caine said. “Feels like being half blind, and half deaf.”
“That is what is happening right now?” Alexandra asked, wanting to be sure.
“Yeah. It’s not much fun,” Caine said.
“Why does it happen?” Alexandra asked.
Caine’s golden twin answered. “Because of how your Sight interacts with my metaphysical presence.”
“Being observed is all it takes to force you to separate?” Alexandra asked.
“More like being observed forces me to pick between being separated and being together. As uncomfortable as separate is, forced together is worse. Imagine being locked in a trunk with another person, and every sound echoes, and you can’t uncross your eyes,” Caine explained.
“This is difficult to follow,” Alexandra admitted, struggling to conceptualize what they ... no- what he was telling her. “How did it happen?”
“What do you know about possession?” Caine asked.
“Which kind? There are a number of types,” Alexandra asked.
“The usual kind,” Caine said. “A demon wearing someone like a raincoat.”
“Demonic domination,” Alexandra tilted her head in thought, surprised at what seemed like a non-sequitur. “It is rare. Usually the final stage of demonic infestation. It is a ... parasitism of the soul. After a protracted spiritual battle, the host becomes unable to resist the demon’s presence any longer. The entity enters the host bodily, and overrides the host’s will. Through that, a possessing entity can use the body like a puppet. However, it is ... imprecise. Where the soul can directly interact with the body it resides in, a possessor has to command the soul to command the body. Even the most weakened soul tends to fight the invading entity, so full, overriding possession is rare.”
“Alright, now what about the other kind?’ Caine asked.
“What other kind,” Alexandra raised an eyebrow, worried about where these questions were going.
“The willing kind,” Caine said simply.
Alexandra pursed her lips in disapproval. “Diabolism. I’d rather not speak of it, but the short description is, it is when some misguided fool deliberately invites a demon in.”
“That’s good enough,” Caine said, holding up a hand. “What do you think would happen if one of those Chimeric kids got possessed?”
Alexandra’s mouth opened, but she said nothing for a moment. The whole question was simply bizarre. “They have two souls ... so only one of them would be possessed? I honestly have no idea.”
“Last question,” Caine said. “Do you know how Holy Vessels work?”
“Of course I do, that was the first thing I...” Alexandra’s eyes slowly went wide. “I think I understand where you are going. This borders on Heresy.”
Caine snorted. “Now maybe. Sure didn’t used to be.”
“So you’re a Holy Vessel with two souls?” Alexandra didn’t believe the words coming out of her own mouth.”
“No,” Caine shook her head. “Close enough though.”
“This is ... complicated. Why? What is the point? Why would the Magistrate do this?” Alexandra asked.
“What’s the point of Holy Vessels?” Caine asked rhetorically.
“To give an Angel a voice. To allow us to speak directly with the most divine servants of the Warden,” Alexandra said, not really following.
“And the Vessels themselves. What happens to them?” Caine asked.
“They ... are martyrs,” Alexandra said sadly. “The body and mind are put under tremendous strain by allowing their body to be entered by an angel. Most can only do it for a short time, and all eventually go mad or die.”
“That’s true of all possession,” Caine nodded. “The soul isn’t meant to be used that way.”
“It isn’t possession!” Alexandra snapped. “Being a Vessel is voluntary! No angel would ever force themselves upon someone.”
“True,” Caine’s golden twin said silently.
“You think getting permission changes the toll it takes?” the other Caine asked. “It’s still possession, trust me.”
“That is blasphemy,” Alexandra said flatly.
“Fine. I’ll accept that charge for the sake of getting on with this,” Caine sighed. “How about we just say that being a Holy Vessel takes a toll on the mind and body that is similar to possession?”
“Fine, I will concede that the physical and mental side effects can be similar,” Alexandra said, clearly not happy with the direction the conversation had taken.
“So again, what do you think would happen if a Chimeric person got possessed?” Caine asked.
“I have no idea,” Alexandra shrugged. “I suspect you can tell me.”
“Chimeric people are used to having an extra soul,” Caine said. “A possessing entity can’t just override the body or mind. It becomes a sort of ... partnership.”
“Symbiosis,” Alexandra nodded, following along.
“Good word for it,’ Caine agreed. “The point is, Chimeric vessels don’t burn out.”
“Why have I never heard of this?” Alexandra’s face twisted into confusion and disbelief. “This seems like the sort of thing that could change the entire structure of the church.”
“It did,’ Caine said. “We’re pretty damn rare to begin with, and then we had to be found and ... indoctrinated.”
“Must you?” Alexandra admonished.
Caine looked at her incredulously. “Yeah. I must. This is my fucking life I’m talking about. Your church isn’t all hymns and charity work. They have done things that would make any diabolist look like a choir boy.”
Alexandra opened her mouth to protest, but Caine cut her off.
“To me, Alexandra. They did horrible shit to me, and I did horrible shit in their name. Because they told me to. Don’t even try to tell me I don’t understand. Your Magistrate? Today’s church? It’s built on a history of blood, and most of it came out of people who didn’t deserve what happened to them,” Caine’s expression was fiercer than she’d ever seen, so Alexandra wisely kept her opinions to herself.
“Continue,” she said. “About the Chimeric Vessels.”
“There were never very many of us,” Caine said after a moment to collect himself. “But we sure did change the church. Think of everything that’s happened in the last two hundred years or so. The church went from being one of many religious institutions ministering to the people, to the Magistrate.”
“And you think that is because of you?” Alexandra asked, skeptical.
“Directly,” Caine nodded.
“And there are others like you? How many? Why was I never told?” Alexandra was still grappling with the weight of what Caine had told her, and the enormity of the cover up.
“I think you were, you just didn’t know what you were being told,” Caine shrugged.
Alexandra gave him a long look. “Speak plainly.”
Caine held her eyes and spoke slowly. “There were a hundred of us,”
Alexandra’s eyes went wide. “Oh. Oh my.”
Will blotted his face and chest dry with his shirt as he walked back to the tent he was sharing with Bella. The cold water of the lagoon had been brisk enough to take the sweltering mugginess out of the warm summer night. It was good to feel clean again.
His injured hand throbbed. Keeping the bandages dry while he bathed hadn’t been easy. Whatever the doc had put on it had definitely helped cut the pain and swelling, but it had clearly worn off. Still, he’d expected worse. Bites never healed comfortably. Bella’s healing ritual had gotten rid of the rope burns and most of the smaller scrapes and bruises, but the bite had been too severe for her magic to do much about. At least the rum he’d drank at the wake was dulling the ache.
As he neared the tents, he heard the muffled sounds of a woman’s pleasure, just for a moment. A small inhaled gasp, and an exhaled moan of pent up tension. His brows furrowed. He knew that gasp. He also knew the tent next to his instantly, even in the dark. He’d spent countless nights in it. He’d sewed up a few tears in it himself.
He’d been able to mostly ignore the knot of tangled emotions that welled up inside him whenever he dealt with Jack, but unexpectedly finding her tent next to his, and hearing the sounds of her passion, were too much.
“Fuck,” he muttered to himself. Who’s idea was it to put their tents together? Was he seriously going to have to listen to her and Quinn going at it? He knew she had more sense than that. She wasn’t an exhibitionist at all. When it came to displays of sexuality, she was practically prudish. They’d discussed it a few times, and he knew she and Bella used to argue about it fairly frequently. Bella used to try to get Jack to show off, but Jack was always adamant. She called it ‘decorum.”
Will knew that if Jack was going to be having sex, she’d make sure it was as private as possible, so all he could guess was that what she was doing was deliberate. Why would she do that? Was she actually trying to upset him? She was prone to picking fights sometimes, but this didn’t seem like her style.
He stood outside the tents for a minute, trying to process what was happening, and how he felt about it. He found himself thankful that the tent was thick enough, and the lantern inside low enough, that he couldn’t make out her silhouette.
He was angry, but he couldn’t really place why. They’d never been in a relationship. She’d been his friend, and his partner, and while they’d slept together often, they’d always been very clear about maintaining their independence. They’d both had other lovers, and neither of them was the jealous type.
Will’s head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He was cold. He was naked. He was stiff and sore.He was in a bathtub.Uncoiling himself was a process. He caught a whiff of himself and recoiled. What had happened?“Oh. Right,” he croaked as memories came flooding back to him. He reached over and started working the pump. In sputtering bursts seawater came flowing into the tub. It was comfortably warm. Probably daytime. The ocean was usually warm by noon this time of year. The charm hanging...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill’s head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He was cold. He was naked. He was stiff and sore. He was in a bathtub. Uncoiling himself was a process. He caught a whiff of himself and recoiled. What had happened? “Oh. Right,” he croaked as memories came flooding back to him. He reached over and started working the pump. In sputtering bursts seawater came flowing into the tub. It was comfortably warm. Probably daytime. The ocean was usually warm by noon this time of year. The charm...
Dawn was breaking. The storm had passed and the eastern horizon was slowly swelling from black to purple to herald the coming of the sun. The crew of the Kestrel was finishing roping hammocks between trees. The wounded were mostly already asleep. Others were unloading the smallboats they’d used to get supplies ashore. They were all exhausted but still managing to trudge along. Lord Morant and his porters had set up tents near the waterline, a ways away from the rest of the crew. Bella had found...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe island of Barcola was primarily Nivalese. The inhabitants had managed to repel a mainland occupation a half-century prior by pulling the majority of their people into the mountains and fighting a brutal guerrilla war against the colonizing forces. In the narrow mountain passes, the mainlanders’ usual tactics of shielded firing lines and phalanx-style close combat were completely useless. The colonists tried to starve out the natives, but the lush tropical mountain provided everything the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crescent shaped cliffside was littered with walkways and bridges, and dotted throughout with caves. Platforms made from a hodgepodge of materials were anchored into the walls, and stacked on each other haphazardly. Thick ropes and chains made an elaborate net that reminded Will of rigging designed by a madman. The largest platform hung in the center of it all, ringed with crane arms and hoist tackle. The whole web looked unstable, but figures walked throughout the tangle without a hint of...
Will got out of the tub after a quick rinse. He was impressed at how warm the water had stayed.“Jus’ pull the drain stopper,” Belita said. She was in the process of being dried off by her dutiful cabin girl. She had her foot up on a stool and Bella was finishing dragging a soft cloth along her thigh and calf.“Do I get that sort of treatment?” Will asked.“You’re not captain,” Cabin Girl Bella said, smugly. He looked around for his own towel. The one Bella had been using hit him in the face. The...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill got out of the tub after a quick rinse. He was impressed at how warm the water had stayed. “Jus’ pull the drain stopper,” Belita said. She was in the process of being dried off by her dutiful cabin girl. She had her foot up on a stool and Bella was finishing dragging a soft cloth along her thigh and calf. “Do I get that sort of treatment?” Will asked. “You’re not captain,” Cabin Girl Bella said, smugly. He looked around for his own towel. The one Bella had been using hit him in the...
The sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing.Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?”“Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up.Will wasn’t having it....
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing. Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?” “Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up. Will wasn’t having...
Will was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.”“I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?” Bella’s...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.” “I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?”...
Captain Vex’s hands knotted in the witch’s dark curls. Bella was a profoundly skilled lover. The Captain had a taste of what Bella could do on top of the lighthouse, but being the sole focus of-of a sex witch’s ministrations when there were no other distractions (and Bella was feeling particularly thankful) was to be given the best possible seat in a masterclass in how to pleasure a woman.Belita had already been turned on fiercely by helping Bella with her recharge ritual. The witch was so...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie’s breath caught in her throat. Will slowly sat down at the table and held his hands up. “There’s no need for that. Let go of the lady and we’ll talk.”“We ain’t here to talk,” the brute with the pistol said. Another man walked through the door and closed it. He was short and unfortunate looking with no chin and an overly large hawkish nose. His choice to keep bushy sideburns but shave the rest only served to draw more attention to his worst features.“Timmons?” Will said, confused at the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie’s breath caught in her throat. Will slowly sat down at the table and held his hands up. “There’s no need for that. Let go of the lady and we’ll talk.”“We ain’t here to talk,” the brute with the pistol said. Another man walked through the door and closed it. He was short and unfortunate looking with no chin and an overly large hawkish nose. His choice to keep bushy sideburns but shave the rest only served to draw more attention to his worst features.“Timmons?” Will said, confused at the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiLost At Sea - PrologueHer name was Linda Reuters, but she resembled Scarlett Johansson just enough for her friends and colleagues to often call her 'Scarlett' instead of her real name. They thought it was funny and she pretended she despised it, but that was all smoke and mirrors: Secretly she had always found the cheesy nickname much more interesting than her real name. And so, from a certain point she had just stopped correcting people. She was, after all, a practical thinking woman. ?You...
Lace lounged against a tree, enjoying the music and her drunken buzz. The wake was still going. It wasn’t the happiest reason for revelry, but after a shipwreck and being attacked by monsters it was clear the crew would take any reason they could get. Sailors were an odd lot. They tended to be fairly stoic until you put a few drinks in them. Then everything they were feeling came pouring out. They were communal too, so what one felt, they tended to all feel, even if they generally didn’t talk...
“Bring her about to port, nice and gentle, but keep tightening the turn until she starts t’ list. Then pull back,” Captain Vex said.“Aye, Captain,” Colin Strong said with much less enthusiasm than usual. The big man looked like hell. The whole right side of his face and parts of the left were swollen and bruised in an angry clash of colors. Purples, yellows, even some blues and greens. The impact points were the fierce dark red of abraded skin and broken blood vessels. His upper lip was swollen...
Fantasy & Sci-FiHe had hips that pounded like the waves, relentless and driving. A slow, rhythmic battering that was trying to knock her over. All she could do was hold on. He stared down at her, his eyes full of concern but his expression a mask of calm. His large hands gripped her hips and pulled her back as he drove forward over and over again. Something inside her spasmed.“Holy… fuck,” she muttered, her hands clenching against the wall.“Are you alright?” he asked, pausing his pounding hips. It was obvious...
Fantasy & Sci-FiHe had hips that pounded like the waves, relentless and driving. A slow, rhythmic battering that was trying to knock her over. All she could do was hold on. He stared down at her, his eyes full of concern but his expression a mask of calm. His large hands gripped her hips and pulled her back as he drove forward over and over again. Something inside her spasmed.“Holy… fuck,” she muttered, her hands clenching against the wall.“Are you alright?” he asked, pausing his pounding hips. It was obvious...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“You should have come straight to me,” Lord Morant said with an authoritarian stare.They were standing on the deck of the fishing boat as it pulled away from the docks. Morant, Lynch and Jack had joined them without a word as they boarded the ship. Will had started to speak, but Morant had cut him off.“Why would I do that?” Will snarled back, still fuming.“Nae, Will. He’s right,” Captain Vex said. She wore her hat and coat, but her other clothes had still been wet and were packed away, so she...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crew began rousing themselves around noon. It was just too hot to sleep comfortably any longer. The shipwrecked survivors moved slow and gingerly, trudging through their tasks with stoic determination. There was a lot to be done. The ramshackle camp was mostly just strewn hammocks and bedrolls at the edge of the lagoon. There hadn’t been time or energy for much else, so the day’s first priority was to set up a more organized campsite. Nearly half the crew, lead by Mister Reeve, were off in...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe crew began rousing themselves around noon. It was just too hot to sleep comfortably any longer. The shipwrecked survivors moved slow and gingerly, trudging through their tasks with stoic determination. There was a lot to be done. The ramshackle camp was mostly just strewn hammocks and bedrolls at the edge of the lagoon. There hadn’t been time or energy for much else, so the day’s first priority was to set up a more organized campsite. Nearly half the crew, lead by Mister Reeve, were off...
“The energy doesn’t have to come from you, it just needs to be received by you,” Bella said. She was watching Captain Vex’s back arch against the bed while Will’s tongue worked between her legs. Belita stretched languidly like a big golden housecat, her expression happy and glazed.“Received?” Tonya asked, not following.“Well, it has to turn you on,” Bella clarified. “That’s not a completely accurate way to put it, but there’s enough overlap that it will work until you have enough experience to...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe prow of the wrecked ship hit the Kestrel with a sickening crunch. Swabs went to their knees. Riggers hung on to their ropes as they were whipped back and forth by the jarring impact. A few unlucky sailors even found themselves bowled completely over, or found themselves hanging in the air, suspended by their safety lines. Rope burn, splinters and scraped skin abounded. Those at the front of the ship fared the worst. Danica and Mister Lynch were thrown backwards from the prow all the way to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“So there was something under the water?” Captain Vex asked. “Yeah,” Will nodded, as he bolted down the last of the spotlight-lanterns on the railing next to the ship’s wheel. The other three hadn’t survived the fight on the prow. Captain Vex wasn’t thrilled about that, those lanterns were expensive. Will’s hands hurt badly, but he still had a bit more to do before he could let the doctor look him over. Besides, there were a lot of crew worse off than he was. “I started to figure it out when...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe island of Barcola was primarily Nivalese. The inhabitants had managed to repel a mainland occupation a half-century prior by pulling the majority of their people into the mountains and fighting a brutal guerrilla war against the colonizing forces. In the narrow mountain passes, the mainlanders’ usual tactics of shielded firing lines and phalanx-style close combat were completely useless. The colonists tried to starve out the natives, but the lush tropical mountain provided everything the...
“What did you do?” Caine asked. Janie hadn’t really noticed him come in. He was leaning in the doorway watching Janie blow out the candles in front of the mirror. She was disheveled and flushed after watching Bella work her oral magic on Captain Vex, and she definitely did not expect an audience for what she was thinking about doing next.She was recovering from being startled, but Caine didn’t give her time to reply. “A customer says you stiffed him?”“That isn’t true at all!” Janie said. “I did...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie looked at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the person she saw.Her had been styled with hot metal rods and some kind of light, fragrant oil that held its shape as it dried. It had taken a while, sitting there and letting Tonya do who-knows-what to it. Then Tonya had put makeup on her and helped her pick out an outfit from a communal closet. After all that work she could finally see it all. Her hair tumbled in loose flowing waves. A small black hat with a white band was pinned...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThey got out of bed and Janie tentatively approached the ladder. She looked over to Bella who shoo’d her forward encouragingly. Janie began to climb. She could faintly hear the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin and a woman’s deep, throaty moans. She climbed a little faster.As her head crested the trapdoor in the early dawn light she saw Belita Vex still wearing one of Will’s large shirts and nothing else, holding onto the brass railing, looking over her shoulder with an expression of excited...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThey got out of bed and Janie tentatively approached the ladder. She looked over to Bella who shoo’d her forward encouragingly. Janie began to climb. She could faintly hear the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin and a woman’s deep, throaty moans. She climbed a little faster.As her head crested the trapdoor in the early dawn light she saw Belita Vex still wearing one of Will’s large shirts and nothing else, holding onto the brass railing, looking over her shoulder with an expression of excited...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe prow of the wrecked ship hit the Kestrel with a sickening crunch. Swabs went to their knees. Riggers hung on to their ropes as they were whipped back and forth by the jarring impact. A few unlucky sailors even found themselves bowled completely over, or found themselves hanging in the air, suspended by their safety lines. Rope burn, splinters and scraped skin abounded. Those at the front of the ship fared the worst. Danica and Mister Lynch were thrown backwards from the prow all the way...
“Get out!” Belita yelled as the door opened.“Nope,” Danica said, walking in and shutting the door behind her. “I said leave!” Belita snarled, pushing herself halfway up into an unsteady, angry crouch.“And I said no,” Danica shrugged. She walked over and sat down against the wall next to the Captain. “Part of my job is to tell you no when you need it. Right now you need it. What’s going on?”“Insubordinate… I’m going tae-” Belita couldn’t find the words.“What? Lock me up? Whip me? Hang me?”...
Fantasy & Sci-FiCaptain Vex’s hands knotted in the witch’s dark curls. Bella was a profoundly skilled lover. The Captain had a taste of what Bella could do on top of the lighthouse, but being the sole focus of of a sex witch’s ministrations when there were no other distractions (and Bella was feeling particularly thankful) was to be given the best possible seat in a masterclass in how to pleasure a woman. Belita had already been turned on fiercely by helping Bella with her recharge ritual. The witch was so...
Will had his feet up on his desk and was enjoying some long awaited silence. It felt a bit strange to be alone. Only a few days ago he would have been used to it. Janie had always left in the evenings. He rarely had visitors. The lighthouse was built in an area of the town which did not have a lot of nighttime activity.All the chaos and excitement that had happened the last few days was what his life had once been like all the time. Now that he had it again it made him realized how much he’d...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill had his feet up on his desk and was enjoying some long awaited silence. It felt a bit strange to be alone. Only a few days ago he would have been used to it. Janie had always left in the evenings. He rarely had visitors. The lighthouse was built in an area of the town which did not have a lot of nighttime activity.All the chaos and excitement that had happened the last few days was what his life had once been like all the time. Now that he had it again it made him realized how much he’d...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe barge Princess Caroline made a brief stop at Westminster Bridge steps, allowing Patrick and I to disembark, from where it was but a short walk along Whitehall to Horse Guards. On entering Colonel Slade’s office I was pleased to see both Krish Armityge and Zinnia Teazle present, as I had little opportunity to speak to either of them before having to rush off to Bristol. I looked forward to picking up the latest news concerning Caroline Ashford from Krish, and of my sister Rebekah from...
“Aye, Cap’n,” Will said, his voice muffled between her legs. His tongue kept up its swirling around her entrance, occasionally sweeping up and fluttering across her clit. She sat up a bit, leaning back on her forearms and watching the top of his head. The muscles in her thighs and her butt twitched of their own accord, squeezing as her pleasure mounted. She ran a hand through his hair and pulled his mouth harder into her, starting to rock her hips.He firmed his tongue into a point and started...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Aye, Cap’n,” Will said, his voice muffled between her legs. His tongue kept up its swirling around her entrance, occasionally sweeping up and fluttering across her clit. She sat up a bit, leaning back on her forearms and watching the top of his head. The muscles in her thighs and her butt twitched of their own accord, squeezing as her pleasure mounted. She ran a hand through his hair and pulled his mouth harder into her, starting to rock her hips.He firmed his tongue into a point and started...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She was exhausted. She’d been standing unmoving, concentrating fiercely for hours. Her whole body ached. Fighting to remain in one position while the ocean rocked the floor beneath her had been much more difficult than she expected. Her thighs were quivering. In spite of her fatigue, her eyes were glued to the mirror, watching the scene play out in her alcove.Tonya was naked, sitting on Bella’s table, her legs spread wide and wrapped around...
Fantasy & Sci-FiA loop of rope dropped around a pale neck. The screaming head attached to it didn’t seem to notice. The makeshift noose went taught. A pale, rag-clad body was yanked thrashing into the air. Lace Webber swung down like a boom, counterbalancing the weight of the creature she’d just lassoed against her own. She crashed into another grindylow with both feet, feeling a satisfying crack and sending the clumsy creature sprawling across the deck. Another crewman quickly took advantage of the opening,...
Fantasy & Sci-FiA loop of rope dropped around a pale neck. The screaming head attached to it didn’t seem to notice. The makeshift noose went taught. A pale, rag-clad body was yanked thrashing into the air. Lace Webber swung down like a boom, counterbalancing the weight of the creature she’d just lassoed against her own. She crashed into another grindylow with both feet, feeling a satisfying crack and sending the clumsy creature sprawling across the deck. Another crewman quickly took advantage of the...
“So there was something under the water?” Captain Vex asked. “Yeah,” Will nodded, as he bolted down the last of the spotlight-lanterns on the railing next to the ship’s wheel. The other three hadn’t survived the fight on the prow. Captain Vex wasn’t thrilled about that, those lanterns were expensive. Will’s hands hurt badly, but he still had a bit more to do before he could let the doctor look him over. Besides, there were a lot of crew worse off than he was. “I started to figure it out...
The night was everything an evening on ship should be. Clear skies, calm seas, land distant flecks on the horizon close enough that they could faintly hear the cries of seabirds. The sunset had been long and gorgeous, full of oranges and pinks that gave way to darker reds and purples before disappearing into dusk. The western horizon was a glowing purple haze that slowly faded revealing more and more stars above.The Nivalese had a strong musical tradition full of drums and guitars, and many of...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThis kiss was different. The first had been a question. This one was a demand. It was hungry. Not overly aggressive, but fierce with desire. Janie moaned into his mouth and one of his hands found the back of her neck and gripped a little harder than he probably should have. Her fingers were twined in his hair again. After a brief eternity their lips parted and their foreheads came together to rest on each other.“Wow,” Will said faintly. Janie nodded against his head. She was suddenly aware of...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThis kiss was different. The first had been a question. This one was a demand. It was hungry. Not overly aggressive, but fierce with desire. Janie moaned into his mouth and one of his hands found the back of her neck and gripped a little harder than he probably should have. Her fingers were twined in his hair again. After a brief eternity their lips parted and their foreheads came together to rest on each other.“Wow,” Will said faintly. Janie nodded against his head. She was suddenly aware of...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella stared, not sure how to respond. “You know what Will’s curse is?”“Damn it,” Jack whispered. “I didn’t want to talk about this.”“Too late. Do you know how to get rid of it?” Bella demanded.“Yes,” Jack sighed. “It isn’t what you think though.”“What is it then?” Bella asked, wishing Jack would just give her a straight answer.“No. I’ve already said too much. You and Will are both too damn smart and neither of you can just let anything lie,” Jack shook her head. She stood up.“Oh no! You don’t...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella let go of Will’s shoulders and quickly shimmied her long sleep shirt up around her waist. Her fingers found her smooth slit. She wasn’t wet, but Belita giving Will a blowjob was starting to feel really good. She licked her fingers and brought them between her legs. She was glad she didn’t have to focus on trying to get herself turned on. Under the circumstances that might have been hard without the assistance from the link between them.While Bella adjusted herself and got ready, Captain...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella let go of Will’s shoulders and quickly shimmied her long sleep shirt up around her waist. Her fingers found her smooth slit. She wasn’t wet, but Belita giving Will a blowjob was starting to feel really good. She licked her fingers and brought them between her legs. She was glad she didn’t have to focus on trying to get herself turned on. Under the circumstances that might have been hard without the assistance from the link between them.While Bella adjusted herself and got ready, Captain...
Fantasy & Sci-FiGrindylow were starting to crawl up the Kestrel’s sides, cresting the railings toward the midship, flanking the defenders. At the helm, Captain Vex cursed. They were running out of time. “Danica, Coleman, get us free!”“Aye, captain!” came the answering calls. Coleman and Danica North led their gaff hook wielding swabs toward the prow, but the fighting was too thick. There wasn’t going to be any safe way to employ their hooks and shove them free of the black ship. For every Grindylow the crew...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She was exhausted. She’d been standing unmoving, concentrating fiercely for hours. Her whole body ached. Fighting to remain in one position while the ocean rocked the floor beneath her had been much more difficult than she expected. Her thighs were quivering. In spite of her fatigue, her eyes were glued to the mirror, watching the scene play out in her alcove. Tonya was naked, sitting on Bella’s table, her legs spread wide and wrapped around...
“What did you do?” Caine asked. Janie hadn’t really noticed him come in. He was leaning in the doorway watching Janie blow out the candles in front of the mirror. She was disheveled and flushed after watching Bella work her oral magic on Captain Vex, and she definitely did not expect an audience for what she was thinking about doing next. She was recovering from being startled, but Caine didn’t give her time to reply. “A customer says you stiffed him?” “That isn’t true at all!” Janie said....
“You trained him to do what!?” Will demanded.Bella was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to coax her monkey back inside. “Well, I was ransacking your room for your clothes. I pulled your drawers out and started stuffing as many of them as I could into a duffel, and then you called me down. Jack must have thought we were robbing the place and kept going after I left.”“You trained him to commit larceny?” Will was simultaniously amused and horrified.Bella gave a small guilty shrug. Janie...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“You trained him to do what!?” Will demanded.Bella was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to coax her monkey back inside. “Well, I was ransacking your room for your clothes. I pulled your drawers out and started stuffing as many of them as I could into a duffel, and then you called me down. Jack must have thought we were robbing the place and kept going after I left.”“You trained him to commit larceny?” Will was simultaniously amused and horrified.Bella gave a small guilty shrug. Janie...
Fantasy & Sci-FiMister Garrik looked up at the ceiling, raising an eyebrow at the muffled sounds of a woman’s pleasure. “Mister Sterling, I appreciate your time, but I came here to do business, not be distracted by the sounds of blue theatre.”Will cleared his throat. “Apologies, Mister Garrik.” Will’s quick mind pulled a lie out of thin air. He was talking before he’d really formulated his story. “I am hosting a friend who... used to work as a brothel girl. She upset the madam and was kicked out of her room. I...
Fantasy & Sci-FiMister Garrik looked up at the ceiling, raising an eyebrow at the muffled sounds of a woman’s pleasure. “Mister Sterling, I appreciate your time, but I came here to do business, not be distracted by the sounds of blue theatre.”Will cleared his throat. “Apologies, Mister Garrik.” Will’s quick mind pulled a lie out of thin air. He was talking before he’d really formulated his story. “I am hosting a friend who... used to work as a brothel girl. She upset the madam and was kicked out of her room. I...
Fantasy & Sci-FiBella stared, not sure how to respond. “You know what Will’s curse is?” “Damn it,” Jack whispered. “I didn’t want to talk about this.” “Too late. Do you know how to get rid of it?” Bella demanded. “Yes,” Jack sighed. “It isn’t what you think though.” “What is it then?” Bella asked, wishing Jack would just give her a straight answer. “No. I’ve already said too much. You and Will are both too damn smart and neither of you can just let anything lie,” Jack shook her head. She stood up. “Oh...