Chapter 1
Carla Barcroft pushed her way through the crowded streets of downtown Tamlin, capital of Cambria, holding a package of supplies protectively in her arms. She winced as she failed to dodge the elbow of an overwrought tradewife. Carla suppressed a scowl. She knew it wasn't really the woman's fault. The streets had been packed ever since the Northern Earls' army arrived to bolster the city's garrison. The barracks couldn't handle them all and the local lords and merchant princes were not inclined to open their doors so the army had been quartered in half the houses of the city. The soldiers were bored and edgy, taking to the streets to vent their fear and boredom on the people they were stuck with. Carla was sick of them after a few hours and it had been days. But she knew she'd be grateful for them when the Dragon's forces arrived to take the city.
One of those soldiers walked by her and as he passed she felt a hand travel across her back, smoothly moving to grope her ass with practiced skill. She whirled and glared at him, coming face to face with a smarmy grin and lazy, too wide eyes.
"Something troubling you, doll? If you've got an itch that needs scratching, I..."
Wordlessly Carla pulled her arcanist guild badge out of her dress to dangle, gleaming in the sun. She fixed him with a steady, expressionless stare.
The soldier paled visibly at the amulet and the stare, then knuckled his head, "Sorry ma'am"
She turned and stalked off without a word.
"Bloody witch cunt..." she heard fading behind her.
Carla let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. It was a good thing the soldier couldn't distinguish an apprentice's badge from a full member's badge, or that little trick might not have worked. Not that she couldn't have burned him to charcoal on the spot. But if he realized she was just an apprentice an actual demonstration might have been necessary.
She made her way back to the spellwright shop. Benjamin, the shop owner and her boss, looked up as she entered. He didn't smile as she placed the package in front of him.
He opened the parcel, saw what she had bought and raised an eyebrow at her, "That's it?"
"Prices have gone up," said Carla.
Benjamin grunted and then squinted at the contents again.
"Is that fennel?" he asked, his tone hovering between confusion and irritation.
"They were out of thyme. I had to get creative," said Carla. She kept the annoyance out of her voice.
"Does fennel even work?" asked Benjamin.
"It does, just cut it from three parts to two," said Carla. She didn't get into how she knew. She had learned to improvise in the years before she had found a place in a guild certified magewright's shop. When she was just a hedge witch she didn't know the standard arcane templates and she hadn't had the resources to buy guild approved materials.
Benjamin was kind enough not to mention it either. All he did was scowl and say, "Sold out of thyme. Goddamn vultures."
"It's tough times," said Carla.
He stared down at the bundle. Fennel, turmeric, sandalwood, bone dust, animal grease. Grind them together and mix it with reasonably pure water and it could hold whatever raw magic you poured into it. You could infuse them and store your magic so you had more to draw on when you really needed it. When the siege started every moment they rested to recover their magic would cost lives, so they were stocking up while they could.
"Did you explain to them that it was for the war effort?" asked Benjamin.
"I did. We're not the only mages in town, though. The duke's warmages have been buying up everything. I'm lucky I could get what I did."
"Mmmm," said Benjamin. He somehow made it sound like he blamed her without saying anything.
"I've got three soldiers with contusions in the back," continued Benjamin
"Bar fight?" asked Carla. There had been a lot of those recently. Carla didn't understand why they'd want to fight now when there'd be so much fighting to do soon.
"Mph," said Benjamin
"Alright," said Carla, keeping her voice steady.
She didn't say another word as she headed to the treatment rooms. Things had been tense with Benjamin ever since things had gotten more serious between her and his son, Sebastian. Benjamin had been all smiles and winks when Sebastian had first worked up the nerve to tell Carla how he felt. Benjamin was fine with Carla as a quick lay for his son. Someone who could pop his cherry and give him some experience before he moved onto better prospects at the Academy. Carla always suspected it might have been part of the reason Benjamin took her on in the first place. But after three years away at the Academy Sebastian still hadn't moved on to any of the well heeled wizard's daughters that cruised the campus like sharks, learning housekeeping magic while looking for husbands. Instead, he telegraphed her weekly and they fell back into each other's arms every summer. Benjamin was finally starting to realize he might have to start calling the unusually talented hedge witch he had so magnanimously taken under his wing daughter, and he didn't like it.
Thinking about all of this drama brought the old annoyance rising to her throat, so she was already fighting a scowl when she got to the examination room in the back. The three soldiers were waiting. They looked confused when she walked into the room.
"What's the hold up?" asked one soldier. He was tall and had a nose that had been broken so many times it looked like a smashed fruit.
"No hold up, I'm here," said Carla.
The soldier snorted, the breaks in his nose giving it a ripping edge. He must snore like a bandsaw, "You? We're here for the wizard."
"Obviously you're not worth his time," said Carla.
"Oooo we got a live one," said another soldier.
She chose not to acknowledge that and walked towards the first soldier.
"You want me to fix that or not?" said Carla, gesturing to his eye. It was so swollen it was sealed shut.
"You gonna kiss it all better? I've got some more bumps that could use those lips of yours," said the soldier.
She grabbed the soldier's head and started the healing spell. Her voice gained echoes and uncanny resonance as the impossible words tumbled out of her mouth in rapid succession. She wasn't as careful as she could have been. She slurred a syllable here, a diphthong there. As a result the healing magic surged through the soldier. Carla knew a rough spell like that burned like rotgut booze and froze like the dead of winter. The soldier gave a small scream even as his wounds vanished.
She smiled at him, "I'm sorry, did that hurt? Did you need me to numb it for you?"
She raised her hands again. The soldier shook his head very quickly.
"Good. Stay quiet and sit really still. It will make the side effects wear off faster," said Carla.
One of the other soldiers chuckled, "That's what you get, Billy. I swear you'd run your mouth off at God himself,"
The soldier pointed at the freshly healed soldier with his chin, "He's the reason we're in here in the first place."
"Why do you keep him around?"
"Eh, he's bad at cards," said the soldier.
Billy opened his mouth.
"Careful, talking might make you puke," said Carla
Billy shut it again.
The other soldier chuckled, "I'd be most grateful if you could sooth my wounds, milady."
"Oh, milady. I like you," said Carla
She sang the healing spell smoothly, like honey flowing out of the pot. It moved through the soldier like a warm gust from the fire on a cold night. And he let out a small breath as he relaxed. When the warmth left him he felt whole and alert, better than he had in a while. Even the small bug bites and bruises, the wear and tear of the long road and the hard campaign, aches he didn't even know he had, were gone.
"Thank you, milady" said the soldier. He had a nice smile.
"You're quite welcome," said Carla.
"Can I have what he had?" asked the third soldier, jokingly.
Carla smiled to herself, appreciating the small joke and the respect in the soldier's voice. Respect was hard to come by for her.
"Only if you're nice to me," said Carla, playing along.
"Yes ma'am."
...
When she was done she sat quietly at a table for a few minutes, eating a simple snack of bread and cheese, waiting for the weariness of the working to subside. It hadn't taken a lot of magic to patch them up. She could have done a dozen more like them before she really needed a break, but it didn't hurt to catch her breath.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I was wondering if I could get some healing," said a deep voice behind her.
She turned quickly, a smile breaking out involuntarily at the sight of Sebastian behind her. He was smiling down at her with that goofy grin and those wide innocent eyes. She knew those eyes were a lie. She had left him a lot less innocent then she had found him. She still loved the way they looked at her. Like she was too good to be true.
She threaded her arms around his neck, tangled his hair, "God I missed you," she said.
He leaned down and kissed her. It was sweet at first, but she opened her mouth hungrily and he followed her lead. He grunted as her tongue found his.
She broke the kiss,"Is your dad brewing those potions?
He blinked, "Yeah he started a few minutes ago."
"Good," she said. Then she gently pushed him onto the examination table.
"What are you doing?" asked Sebastian. He sounded a little panicked.
"I've had a shit day already and it's not over yet. I need a pick me up,``said Carla.
"What? What if we get a customer?"
"They can wait."
"That's it? You say hi, I kiss you and we just start fucking?"
She started efficiently undoing his pants, "Are you complaining?" she asked as she worked at his belt.
He paused, considering as she worked at his pants.
"Noooo. I just thought you might want to catch up?"
His pants dropped to the floor.
"We can talk later, when there's a chance your dad walks in on us, " said Carla, "We can only fuck while he's occupied and he can't stop brewing those potions once he's started."
He nodded with mock seriousness, "That... is a very good point."
She muttered a loosening spell. Her shoes and her dress untied themselves. She let out a breath as her dress loosened around her. She kicked off her shoes, reached down and hiked up her dress, ripping her panties off in one smooth motion. She could mend the later with a simple spell.
Sebastian jumped at the sound of tearing cloth and instantly came erect.
Then he swallowed nervously, "But won't he hear us?"
Carla muttered a spell of silence and quiet. It enveloped the room, cutting them off from the terrible world outside.
"Not anymore," said Carla.
Sebastian smiled that awkward grin and pulled her forward by the waist. Carla pushed him down on the examination table and climbed on top of him. As she mounted him she felt the solid, warm familiar weight of his cock as it brushed up against her thighs. It made her draw a sharp breath.
He stared up at her, eyes wide, "You are unbelievable."
She looked down at him, 'I know"
