The three women stepped through the doorway twisted into being by magic, leaving the lovely little piece of land upon which the cabin sat, stepping from late afternoon to deep, starless darkness. They were farther away still, she realized, as Mara lowered her arm, pleased at her first successful use of Her gifts. It was colder and she resisted a shiver. It was nearly pitch black but she was unconcerned beyond simply noting it. Mara knew She was close and her sisters were closer, so there was nothing to fear. Mara followed Her will down a short path through the snow. She felt wind behind her and knew that Devin was swirling the snow behind them to cover their tracks.
They moved carefully but quickly, certain of where to place their feet in the dark because each one brought them closer to Her. The cave was not far from them and they entered an even deeper black. Where Mara could see a bit beyond an extended arm in a little more than darkened shadows, she could see nothing at all once they entered. Despite her unshakable faith, her heart began to beat faster, her instinctual mind waiting for a rock wall or a precipice to end her journey.
"Have no fear, sister," Imir told her, gently.
Devin added her own voice as a reassuring presence. "Breathe. Let go. Follow Her path."
I follow Her path. I follow Her path.
She found that that truth helped. It also helped that she knew that, if she wished, she could see the path through their eyes, but she decided that it was a greater offering of trust and faith for all that She had given Mara even to now, that she stay blind and let Her pull and Mara's faith in that be her only guide.
The path turned and wound left and right, but inevitably downward. There were many paths; dozens upon dozens that led in circles, dead ends, and blind passages made of rock, magic, and something not rock. If you didn't know exactly where you were going you were meant to find your way back out or die. The cold gave way to a comforting, not quite stifling warmth that came both from being deeper underground and from a source she could feel as magic. There was power here and it was Hers. That fact made Mara shiver again, but from awe.
"We know," Devin said.
They entered a cavern that was lit by a circle of lights overhead that didn't come from lanterns, but from something beyond what she'd ever known, bathing the room of polished stone in a subdued, warm yellow light. In the center of the room, there were raised steps to a pool of liquid black that cut the light moved back and forth in waves calm waves, the tiny crests of the liquid cutting the light that touched it into tiny rainbows so that it reminded her of a field of endlessly twinkling stars. At the head of the pool, opposite them were three tables that formed a three-quarter square. Closest to them was a black glass goblet with silver adornment. To the left was a chest meant to open facing outward, and, to the right, was a large bowl of similar design to the glass.
Bryana appeared, the picture of power, in the black attire that she favored as a guild mistress of one of the world's guilds that practiced their arts, explored their potential, and did so all while avoiding being known by the greater world. A black cloak covered a black dress that hugged her form tightly to the hips before flaring out slightly while still allowing her full freedom of movement. A silver belt held a buckle with an engraved, hashed representation of a predatory cat. Her eyes were a piercing blue, her features elegant, and her hair flowing in blond waves to her shoulders. She moved as though it were utterly her domain, and it was so.
Indeed, this was a place of work in alchemy and magic that was so hers that it was removed from the eyes of other guilds because it used an understanding of both gleaned from her mate, a man learned in science and magic far beyond the rest of the world, having been whisked away as a child to a near-mythical city in the wastes. If such a place was known by the other guilds in the conclave, they would demand that it be shared to maintain balance, and, much of what she now knew would do anything but that if it were known to the other guilds. Even the transportation spell used to come here was unknown to them.
Bryana came to them and the three inclined their heads to honor Her.
"I have not spent enough time with you of late."
"You are always with us, Mistress," Imir assured her.
"Still," Bryana intoned with a touch of sadness, "I like actually
being
with mine, and you need it."
"As air to breathe," Devin said, her own eyes unable to look away from Her; her love and her all.
She smiled in victory. "My case is proven." She went to Devin, and leaned forward to meet her lips. What began almost cautiously became more passionate kiss while maintaining a certain romantic gentility. Mara saw Devin's shoulders sag ever so slightly and her arms hang more limply at her sides, as if nothing but the passionate kiss was holding her upright. Devin gave no sound to give it away, but Mara saw her little finger twitch and, when the kiss broke, she could hear the quiver in her exhalation that denoted an overwhelming orgasm.
Mara then watched Bryana move to Imir and subdue and drown her in pleasure, running her fingers through that thick, lustrous hair. "This is your favorite from me, isn't it, my Imir?"
"Yessss, Mistress." She was already nearly breathless.
"Almost more than anything else." Her voice was tenderness and tease. "Just caress you. I can caress you to sleep where you dream of me. I can caress you until you cum. All I have to do is pet you like an animal."
Imir's ragged breath caught.
"My animal. My pet. My perfectly tamed pet. You do not have to hold back."
The moan that came from her tickled Mara's own spine.
"Pet you. Pet you forever. Never stop petting you. Never stop..."
