Satyr Play 03

Author's Notes:

'Satyr Play 3' was supposed to be the conclusion of my surprisingly well-received first attempt at dabbling in the realm of magic. Once more throwing caution to the wind, I run wild through the dandelion patch of canon, convention, and tradition, kicking up the fluff that is the Fantasy genre.

Yeah, I know, but whatcha gonna do.

Minimal effort is made here to explain the backstory, so if you've just stumbled upon this story as your first exposure to the tale, I highly recommend you read them in the following order:

Satyr Play

A Dark Heart (Short Story - for context)

Satyr Play 2, Part 1

Song for a Still River (Short Story - for context)

Satyr Play 2, Part 2

Bride in Black (Short Story - for context)

Satyr Play 3, Part 1

Satyr Play 3, Part 2

Satyr Play 4, Part 1

Satyr Play 4, Part 2

Satyr Play 5... to come.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older. Most aren't even human... or real. Or are they? Dun dun DAH!

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Satyr Play 3, Part 1

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Chapter 1

Henry Gable contemplated the knife in his hand. The grip was comfortable and seemed designed to fit the larger hand of his Satyr form. The eight-inch blade was wickedly sharp and tapered to a deadly point. Greatest caution was required when using it to keep his fingers connected to his hand.

His eyes automatically went to his right ring finger.

Mab's finger.

It looked and felt like his now, but he knew it once came from the hand of the mad queen. Not that she'd personally experienced the agony of its removal. That cruelty was inflicted upon their newborn daughter, whose mind was now trapped in the Fae's body.

Henry's mind spun as he once more tried to come to terms with the evil Queen Mab and Baba Yaga had done that night.

Envious of Henry's link to a source of magic more potent than her own, Mab designed a master-level spell to create a new body for herself, a body linked to the realm of Wild Magic as Henry was. The most heinous aspect of her spell was that it required a child born of her and Henry.

The powerful but vile spell tapped into Henry's link to a Fae healing spell and the temporal energies trapped in his horns to support and expedite the process of having the child. Then, it successfully transferred Mab's mind into the newborn's body and the child's mind to hers. Mab had a new lease on life with access to powerful new magic while their daughter was destined to quickly die in Mab's ancient body.

Henry somehow managed to tap into the temporal energies to keep his newborn daughter from dying of old age as Mab fled, and he returned the ancient body to that of an infant. Still, it took Baba Yaga's assistance to keep her alive.

Thoughts of the old witch sent a spike of pain through him. She'd had her own horrific plans for his daughter that night. Without concern for the pain she caused, she'd used her supernaturally sharp scissors to remove the right ring finger from his and the baby's hands and swapped them, utilizing her powerful magic to reshape and resize them for their new hosts.

His right ring finger, with its dragon bone ring, was now connected to the tiny hand of his infant daughter. The small piece of jewelry was bound to a curse so powerful that triggering it would result in the immediate eradication of all Human life on Earth.

The idea that his innocent child was carrying the burden of an extinction-level weapon and the unknown agenda Baba had, which required the infant to bear it, tormented his sleep.

But there was nothing he could do about it because Baba Yaga took his daughter when she vanished that night. He hadn't seen the crone or his baby since.

However, Henry knew the child was alive as he had a little magic of his own now, courtesy of a Fae healer he'd saved. Henry wasn't a wielder who could bend magic to his will, so Ikehorn bound a spell to the finger he shared with his daughter, which allowed him to link minds with her.

As often as he could, he'd reach out to her mind and express his love for her. Each time, he'd feel her sweet response. It wasn't as good as holding her in his arms, but it was all he had.

"Henry! Did you cut yourself again?"

He was brought back to the present by the outcry and glanced at the beautiful Faun rushing over to see him where he stood behind the kitchen island. He glanced down at the surface before him. The sharp knife rested on the cutting board next to the peppers he'd sliced. He held his right ring finger in his left hand as he did when he reached his mind out to his daughter.

He shook his head and released his finger as he smiled at the lovely creature, now standing next to him. "No, I'm fine. Sorry, my mind was wandering again."

Tish gave him a gentle frown. "Okay, you're banished from the kitchen until your brain returns to you. Too many sharp objects in here to be safe for people with distracted minds. Shoo!"

She gently pushed his larger body from behind the island, giving his buns a playful squeeze through his kilt as she did so. He managed to keep his lust in check as he enjoyed the feel of her strong hands on his ass.

Being a Satyr seemed to mean his body was always a blink away from carnal excitement. At least, it felt that way since his sexual maturity finally began to take effect. Before working at VRL, he'd been disguised as a Human using the magic in the dragon bone ring. He'd spent his waking hours in Human form, considerably delaying his true Satyr nature's maturing. He was still learning how to control his lust and pheromone release, the latter only now becoming second nature.

Henry smiled back at Tish and let himself be moved from the food prep station. He began tidying up the living room instead. The decor was a strange mix of Japanese minimalism and Bohemian eclecticism. The ample space contained his furniture and Tish's, but there was plenty of seating for their guests.

They were having a housewarming party tonight. They'd been in the condo for only two weeks, and he still felt a little off about their new digs. It was in the same building on the same floor as his first condo. He loved how much space it had, the layout, the view of the water, and its location, but

how

they obtained the unit still felt... wrong.

Unit nine-oh-nine, at the other end of the floor from his old unit nine-oh-one, became available after the gruesome murder of a young man in a nearby alley seven months earlier. The youth's parents eventually decided they could no longer live in the building and returned to Europe.

VRL purchased the much larger condo as it was a better investment. They sold unit nine-oh-one to Sandy, who used the money from her unit's sale, four-oh-four, to cover most of the cost. Henry assisted her with the remaining amount as he felt responsible for causing her to no longer be Human, a requirement for living on the building's even-numbered floors.

Due to a momentary lapse of his self-control and circumstances

beyond

his control, Henry's Human friends became magic conduits like him. Sandy was the first to change and ultimately became a Gorgon, a being with sentient hair, which was stronger than steel, and flirty as hell.

Sandy's bestie, Dayshia, also lived on the ninth floor, sharing a two-bedroom condo with Michelle Beaumont, who often worked nights and secretly craved company when she was home. Being an Arachnid, Michelle lucked out with Dayshia, who was not in the least put off that her roommate had the lower half of an enormous spider.

Dayshia became a truth seer when the Wild Magic altered her and her friends. She could see through glamors, the magic disguises that hid the Hidden Races from Human eyes, and the ever-present cameras of Human civilization. She was discovering her eyes could do a lot more as well.

Tish became a Faun, the female counterpart to Henry. She preferred the term Faun over Satyr, but the names were interchangeable, truthfully.

Also affected that night was their friend Roger, but he was in the wind, and no sign of him could be found. The man was an anarchist at heart, so they were especially nervous about him disclosing the Hidden Races' existence. The Council currently had their hunter/killer teams out looking for him, but they had other more critical issues to deal with lately.

While Henry's first condo had been a compact one-bedroom, this one was easily four times the size. It was an 'L' shaped space wrapped around the southwest corner of the building. The south view was lovely, while the western view was of the trees and apartments across the lane beyond the foliage. At least the westerly windows were large and let in a lot of light.

In the 'L' southern arm was a large open-concept kitchen against the interior wall. It was state-of-the-art, and Tish was thrilled. A long granite island with a large sink, built-in dishwasher, and wine cooler separated the kitchen from an expansive dining/living room with floor-to-ceiling windows running along the southern wall.

The 'L' western arm began with a decent-sized balcony on the corner of the building, followed by a spare bedroom, which would become a nursery, and then the master bedroom with a four-piece ensuite and walk-in closet. Henry thought the soaker tub and separate shower was excessive, but Tish loved the utility and decadence of having both.

An interior divider wall separated the hall to the bedrooms from the corridor leading to the front door. A three-piece guest bathroom was just inside the entrance, the door to their full-size stacked washer/dryer set was next, and a reasonably spacious hall closet was next to that. Storage was limited, but the condo had more space than either had experienced before.

Henry smiled as he watched Tish busying herself in the kitchen. She looked radiant, though aside from the glow, there was very little evidence of her pregnancy. She'd been concerned initially, but the Hidden Races doctor they'd found assured her that the baby was doing fine. She assured Tish that while they had no records of the term of a Faun pregnancy, she definitely shouldn't expect it to match a Human's.

Camila also assured them that long terms were typical for Hidden Races and may hint at Satyrs' lifespan expectations, another current unknown.

Someone knocked on their door. Henry shared a look with Tish and glanced at the clock. The party didn't start for thirty minutes. They activated their glamors with casual party clothes, and then Henry walked down the hall to answer the door.

He looked through the peephole and saw Sandy in a pretty blue party dress, so he opened the door.

"Hi, Sandy-OOF!"

Henry felt his head and shoulders engulfed in silky softness with just a hint of strength. Sandy had her glamor active, so her real hair was invisible, and Henry could see the blush on the pretty woman's face. He stepped back, and Sandy followed so he could close the door.

"I'm so sorry. Kesini knew we were coming to see you today, and she's been such a pest all day as she's missed you," Sandy said with a pout.

Henry gently gathered the hair in his hands and moved it from his face to hug it against his chest. Sandy dropped her glamor so he could see the glowing golden locks in his arms. He blinked at Sandy.

"Missed me? We walk to the path station and ride the train together almost every day," he said in confusion.

Sandy shifted in embarrassment, and then her eyes locked on his. "No, she misses all the... intimate time we had while living together." Her blush deepened, and he finally understood.

A smile slipped onto his lips. "So

Kesini

misses the intimate time, does she?" he said teasingly, stroking the squirming hair.

Beautiful blue eyes flared as she held his gaze while tingles ran down her spine from his touch. "No, not just her."

The sweet honesty of her response made him instantly regret his teasing. He'd moved out of his old condo two weeks ago. It was true; Sandy

had

enjoyed his attentions most nights in the months leading up to his departure as she'd moved in with him after vacating her unit on the fourth floor.

With the demands of moving into his new place and his extra duties at work, writing a new firewall application for a contract Camila negotiated with the US Government, he'd been rather preoccupied lately.

He moved forward and took her face between his hands, her eyes lashes fluttering from the tingles he was sending through her skin. Then his mouth found hers, and she wrapped her arms around his hard body, crushing herself against him. They were both covered by Kesini's golden locks.

Henry slid his right hand around to the back of Sandy's head, deep in her hair, as his left slid down her back to her ass, pulling her sensitive bits tight against his growing erection. She gasped against his mouth and kissed him harder. The kiss went on as Sandy ground her body against his, her hands clinging to his ass. Kesini was beginning to tremble from the sensation feedback from Sandy. He pulled her tighter to him as his hips rocked sensually, strumming her body.

Suddenly, Sandy's moans became a short squeak as her pleasure tripped over the edge into a delicious release. Her body vibrated against his as she clung to him. She pulled back from the kiss to rest her forehead against his cheek as she panted. Kesini released her grip on them both and completely relaxed.

"God, I've missed that," Sandy sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Sandy. I never meant to neglect you. It just got so busy-" He stopped when she pressed a fingertip to his lips.

"Don't apologize. I get it. You've got your new place and settling in with Tish, who's carrying your baby. Something on the side is the last thing on your mind."

A voice came from behind Henry. "Whoa there, girlfriend! Don't be forcing Human pre-conceived notions on us like that!" Sandy peered around Henry, who turned to see Tish standing beside them, frowning at her friend in annoyance. "Henry's a Satyr, and he's got a big heart with plenty of love for his friends. He has two Succubi, a Valkyrie and a Vampire, all sharing intimacy with him as well as us. He and I aren't a couple in traditional Human terms. Sex is sex, and love is love. He's just been really busy with work lately."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I just thought-" Sandy began.

"Yeah, I know, but you're wrong. I have no issues with Henry being intimate with his friends. He's not my property. I love being with him, and he loves being with me. That's good enough. We're not some hokey TV family; life is far more interesting than that." She sniffed and frowned. "Now, my Faun sense of smell is much stronger than my Human one was, so maybe you can use the extra time before the party to freshen up from your sexy time?"

Sandy's face flushed with embarrassment, and she squeaked before engaging her glamor and rushing out the door.

Tish looked at Henry with a raised eyebrow when the door closed. "You couldn't have led her into the bedroom to do that? Now, we're going to have to light a candle to burn off the scent of sex. We don't want to give our guests the wrong impression, now do we." She made shooing gestures again. "Go get the matches and the candle in the top left cupboard in the kitchen."

Henry gave Tish a quick kiss and hustled away to follow her instructions. She was right. He really

did

love being with her, as he'd enjoyed living with Sandy. He realized living alone was not for him. He needed someone in his life to keep him from falling into his old solitary patterns.

She returned to the kitchen and carried the snack tray to the wide coffee table while he collected the candle and matches. He brought them back to the front entrance and set the pretty candle in the candle stand on the narrow table in the hall. The candle was light yellow-gold in color, roughly six inches tall and two inches wide. He lit it and lowered the stand's glass chimney over it. After a few moments, he was surprised to pick up the subtle scent of fresh mountain air and wildflowers. He looked closer at it.

"Where did you get this candle?" he called out.

She walked up next to him and smiled with her eyes closed as she inhaled the lovely scent. "That's much better!" She opened her eyes to grin at him. "It's a new business that opened a small shop near my hospital. They sell products with all-natural scents. The candle wax is beeswax. The scent comes from the wax collected from the hives of bees in different locations. This one was from a hive in the mountains of Colorado."

Henry inhaled deeply, and with his eyes closed, he would swear he was standing in that meadow. Then he felt his body resonating with the scent. His eyes opened, and he stared at the candle. Wild Magic. He was sure of it. The wax was subtly emitting Wild Magic. He looked at the smile on Tish's face. "H-how do you think they make the candles do that?"

She gave him a silly grin. "Do what? It's just a candle. Honey picks up the flavor of the flowers the bees feed on; why shouldn't their wax? Don't overthink it. Just enjoy it!" She walked back to the kitchen to check on the wine. "By the way, only one drink for you tonight! We don't need you going on a mental walkabout!"

He gave the candle another troubled look but put it out of his mind. It was probably nothing to worry about if Tish couldn't detect the magic in its scent. The strength of her connection to the realm of Wild Magic was second only to his own, and her sense of smell was stronger than his. Her hearing and eyesight were better than his, too.

He sighed. Magic was stupid.

He went back to preparing for the party. Aside from their odd furniture collection, he was delighted with how their new apartment turned out. Maybe he felt so much at home here because of the mix of styles. It felt like him

and

Tish.

When the next knock came from the door, it was only a few minutes before the party was to begin. Henry opened it and smiled at Sandy, who was now in a lovely red party dress. Behind her was Dayshia dressed in her favorite color, gold, and Michelle in her favorites, black and red. All three wore their inside slippers as they came directly from their apartments. He stepped back and let them in.

Sandy kissed him on the lips with an invisible stroke across the front of his pants from Kesini. That made Sandy blush, but she smiled as she entered the living room.

Michelle stepped up to Henry with a nervous yet excited smile, and he leaned forward to let her press her lips against his. She was much more comfortable with these intimate gestures now, as long as he made no moves she might interpret as an attempt to restrain her. She could grab his shoulders and kiss him deeply as she was currently doing, but he kept his hands at his side.

She ended the kiss when Dayshia gently made a throat-clearing noise behind her. Blushing prettily, Michelle smiled at Henry and followed Sandy.

Dayshia closed the door behind herself and gave Henry a hungry smile. She was letting her hair grow and wore it like a huge mane of dense curls tonight. He itched to sink his fingers into the luxurious mass, but Dayshia's entire body was a severe distraction for his hands. She grinned as she saw his need for her and suddenly pulled Henry against her chest to kiss him. Her large breasts were squeezed between their bodies, and Henry's libido was waking up fast. He felt the heat in his body beginning to tingle, likely caused by kissing so many women so close together. But this was supposed to be a house warming party, not an orgy. He focused on Dayshia's lips' soft texture and how good they felt when he stroked them with his lips. By concentrating on her alone, he sensed the heat dissipate as tender, one-on-one sex didn't trigger it. Dayshia's heat, on the other hand, rocketed from his sensual kissing and his hard body pressing on all the right places. She finally pushed him back and watched his mouth with wide eyes. The tip of her tongue touched her plumped lips quickly as she caught her breath.