51

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Thank you all for reading along with me so far.

I really appreciate feedback, both positive and critical. If you have feedback to share I encourage you to do so! I won't always agree with or follow your feedback, obviously, but I do read and consider it.

I've stopped responding to comments on Lit because of the delays in posting them. There's just such a long delay that I feel awkward attempting to offer replies. If you'd like a response then you can find me elsewhere, if not, just know that I see you.

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Chapter 49

Myta let out a moan as I slid my hand across her lower belly, cupping her sex in my palm. Her hips bucked up into my hand, and I let her pearl just begin to press into my skin before I shifted away with a teasing stroke. Her hoarse noise of desperation was music to my ears.

"Just relax my love," I said to her as I scraped her hip with my nails. "I'll let you come after I'm ready, and there's nothing you can do to change that, so just relax."

"That looks intense, unbearable." Sati didn't sound worried or upset. If I had to describe her tone I'd say she sounded hungry.

"Oh she's fine for now," I kept my tone light and almost dismissive, so as not to spoil the mood, but I was keenly focused on Myta's state of mind. "Some time ago we set up a signal for her to ask me to stop, something to convince her she still has a modicum of control."

My flame let out a whimper, listening to my tone and letting my words make her feel even more helpless as I implied that I might disregard such a signal. It was a fine line for me to walk, indulging her fantasy on one hand, but honoring her trust on the other. The bond made it much easier. I knew exactly how hard I could push her, and she knew how hard I would.

"My flame enjoys being helpless and used," I said to Sati. "The problem with that is that she's physically stronger than me, and a more skilled fighter. In our inner worlds I overpower her, or I can use the bond to steal her strength away, but that feels cheap somehow. It seems fake to me."

I grabbed one of Myta's breasts, squeezing until she thrashed to try and escape my grip. It was easy to garb her by the neck, and haul her back close to me. I slapped her thigh by way of punishment, rubbing the harsh sting away after, and letting my fingers brush her wet valley.

"Here, on our domain? The difference in our strength is real. I can do anything I want with her, and only my own restraint would stop me." My words were aimed at the apsara, but I met Myta's eyes while I spoke. I could see an edge of genuine nervousness enter her eyes, but the lips of her sex practically dripped as her hips bucked. Her motion could have been interpreted as an attempt to move away from me, but it ground her pearl against my hand.

"I've barely used your power at all yet." I observed. "But look at how needy she is. Myta is a good girl who just wants to be used and then taken care of, isn't that right my love?"

Myta nodded frantically, spreading her feet on the floor of the tent, and thrusting her hips up into my hand. I rewarded her efforts by pulling my hand away and slapping both her thighs, harder this time. She bit her lips and screamed through her nose, thrashing against the ground.

"I see," I muttered with a smile. "Go over to that wall and find the small trunk with a rolled bandage carved on the front, little flower. Inside you'll find a wooden rod wrapped in leather. Bring it to me."

"Yes daddy." Sati's voice was thick, and she looked a little unsteady on her feet as she did as I told her. She handed me the item without voicing the question I saw in her eyes.

"I give this to patients who need to be awake for a painful procedure, for whatever reason. They can bite down on it without hurting their teeth, and it helps to muffle any screams." I offered the stick to Myta, who took it readily between her teeth, biting down almost immediately.

"It looks like a horse bit," Sati observed.

"Except that she can spit it out if needed," I agreed. "Not that I think she will. Myta's a good girl, and she doesn't want to bother us. Do you?" I directed the last at my flame, who shook her head and made a noise of denial in response.

"Hold her head on your lap, and keep her from hitting it on the ground." I directed the apsara, who nodded and complied. I didn't really need her to do so, but with the way she was transfixed by Myta's situation, I thought they both would be more aroused by that. Myta, at least, enjoyed being put on display. She wiggled her hips and moaned unintelligibly as I knelt between her legs, throwing her knees over my shoulders to raise her to an appropriate height.

I didn't bother to disrobe, just fishing out my rigid shaft and shoving it into my vas' waiting, ready sex. She came immediately as the head of my cock rubbed over her sensitive spot within, a small climax, that only whetted her appetite for more. In this position her pearl received no stimulation at all, and with her hands bound she couldn't tend to it herself. This left her climbing successive waves of pleasure, but deprived of her highest peak.

I looked at the former princess, who was now mesmerized by our joining. Both women were climbing to new heights of arousal, but from Sati I was feeling something more, something that made her squirm self-consciously.

"When my father holds court, some of the wealthy and powerful bring companions." The apsara's voice was vague and distant as she reminisced. "Women and men of great beauty, scantily clad, but adorned with jewelry. These companions never spoke, they were there only to show their patron's wealth or status, and service their needs."

"As Myta serves mine," I nodded. I pushed back my own pleasure, wanting to keep Sati talking, and also wanting to see how high I could build my flame's desire. She had reached a plateau. She longed for further heights of pleasure, but had accepted that she wouldn't reach them soon. I wanted her desperate though, out of her mind with desire, and so I pulled on Sati's power a little more.

"In a way," the apsara responded to my statement after Myta's renewed scream of frustrated need subsided. "Myta is deeply yours, a tool to be used and cared for. The nobles cared for their companions only as adornments, or as if they were pets. Taking them, using them in a public setting, was a calculated display of superiority."

Sati had flattened her right hand over her lap, fingers twitching as though she wanted to rub herself through the fabric of her robe. Her breathing was fast and shallow, and her tongue darted out to lick her lips repeatedly.

"Hmm, tell me little flower, what kind of petals did they have?" At her confused, almost dazed look I clarified. "You said they were scantily clad, adorned in jewelry. Describe it for me."

"Ah, yes daddy. They would wear thin silk veils, not enough to actually conceal their bodies. And they would often have silver or gold chains strung between piercings, with pendants or gems strung on them.

"Are, are you going to finish soon? You've had Myta like that for a little while now, and she's obviously enjoying herself, but I can feel how strained and weak she's feeling."

I thought back to how Sati had garbed herself after the lashing I'd given her as a punishment, and smiled. "She'll be fine," I answered. "She wanted me to relieve my stress, and that is exactly what I'm doing. I have enough control of my body to linger on the edge for as long as I choose. And I'm far from tired of this yet.

"Still," I added, as though the thought had just struck me. "If you're concerned for her, perhaps you'd like to help?"

"Of course, daddy!" Her answer was immediate, and gratifyingly enthusiastic.

"Then tend to her pearl while I take my pleasure. After she's peaked, I'll finish."

Sati wasted no time, quickly standing, and shucking off her robe. She put the crumpled garment under Myta's head, and then set to work following my instruction. Her fingers swirled on the other woman's pearl with a wet, slick noise, and my flame screamed in ecstasy. Soaking wet, and searingly hot flesh clenched and pulsed around my rigid shaft, and I let myself go in blissful release. I ached with the force of my own climax, shuddering and gasping with reaction.

Shakily, I freed Myta's hands and rolled her onto her side, cuddling up behind her. I could have cleaned us with a thought, but let our slick and sticky skin press together as it was. She shuddered with aftershocks, which nearly made me flinch as it rubbed her against my own, overly sensitive flesh.

Sati knelt uncertainly until I gestured for the apsara to join us. Tossing the padded stick aside, Myta made grabbing motions at the princess, and soon we were all laid down together, with my flame pinned in the middle. I traced my fingers over her gray skin again, just basking in the afterglow. Two of the three of us were relaxed and sated, but our darker-skinned beauty fidgeted with unrequited need.

"So, little flower. Which of the jewelry and piercings on these servants in your father's court did you most admire?" I hadn't released her power, though I was no longer using it to heighten Myta's arousal. Now, I turned it on the apsara herself. My mind was open, my intentions clear, and Sati shivered under the touch of my will, and Myta's hands.

"The chained piercings," she admitted shyly. "Especially the intimate ones. They are beautiful, and impractical. Dangerous for anyone to work or fight in."

"Perfect for someone who is meant to be an adornment," I agreed. Reaching across Myta, I took hold of Sati's breast, pinching her nipple firmly. "Is that where you want yours?"

She tried to stammer out a protest, despite the way I felt her lust surge. "Please, little flower, don't insult me. With the way you dressed after your punishment, and you bringing them up this evening? It's obvious what you want. I'm make you into our pretty little flower, so that Myta and I can display you as we please."

Sati's blush made me laugh, a joyous relaxed laugh, as my vas tangled together in a new round of passionate lovemaking. Myta had been right, this little interlude had been exactly what I needed to clear my head for the challenges to come.

Chapter 50

Our scouts spent the night going over the area around the gray stone monolith, looking for any sign of activity. They found a few signs of people moving about the clearing recently, seemingly disappearing into the blank stone walls.

"We can't determine how many there are," Denu noted. "What we found were the signs of them concealing their tracks, not the tracks themselves."

I was both pleased and frustrated by this news. Now we knew where at least some of the Pure were hiding, but the idea of returning to that place left me soaked in a cold sweat.

"You're sure we can't get inside through the doorways they're using?" Myta asked me, and I shook my head with regret.

"Fairly certain. Those doorways must be held open from the inside, and they come in pairs, with a little room in between. Both doors can't be open at the same time, and there are windows inside to let people see into the room. It's the most secure arrangement I've ever seen, paranoid even."

"So even if we tricked them into opening the outer doors for us, there would be plenty of time for them to see through the ruse." She made a frustrated noise. "If Sati could reach them inside, or we could be certain of an effective disguise, that would make this so much easier."

"Even entering through the tunnels will be difficult if they're being careful," I observed. "That entrance doesn't have the two-door setup, and it can be opened from the outside, but it emerges into a large open courtyard without any significant cover. Unless they were foolish enough to clutter the area."

"Courtyard?" Myta seized on that. "Can we just go over the outside walls then?"

"No, it's stranger than you think." I shook my head again. "If you climb the walls you'll find a roof that's just like the walls, scarred but impervious stone. But from the inside you can look up and see the sky. Or, a sky, at least."

Everyone looked askance at my phrasing, but no one questioned my words. Instead, I could practically feel their thoughts buzzing.

"So this entrance room blocks mana like the walls do?" Saoirse finally asked, and I nodded.

"It does, those inside can see in, but spiritual senses are blocked."

"What are you thinking?" Myta asked cautiously.

"Nothing, until we see someone come out." The shifter dragged nails across her face in a gesture that looked both habitual and painful. "If we could manage a physical disguise, we could slip in a group, catch them by surprise, then open up the doors for the others to come through. They must be bringing back supplies, right? Hunting and foraging, fetching water. They'd need to do that on the regular."

"Not water," I noted. "But everything else, yes. If a group made it through, and the took control of the doors, we could move people in maybe twenty at a time."

"Which means that, moving supplies, they probably come out in groups of five at most." Myta was thoughtful. "Can you describe the inside area, around this room?"

We continued in that vein for some time, until forming the outlines of a plan. My memories of the ruin were decades out of date, but the fact that the ruins themselves couldn't be altered served us in this respect, and my recollections were... vivid. Hati, Siobhan, Saoirse, and even Cathel lent her their knowledge and expertise; but my flame did the actual planning.

"You're certain you'll be able to maintain the illusion?" She asked Sati, brow furrowed in concern.

"I'm sure." The apsara projected an air of utter confidence, though I could feel the sliver of concern working through her. "They will need to be roughly the same size as our targets, to make things easier, but as long as the antechamber doesn't actively disrupt sorcery I can do it."

I knew that Sati's worry didn't come from a real concern over her ability. Rather, she was unused to feeling this kind of pressure. Not since her friend Rina had been taken from her had she allowed herself to become invested in the wellbeing of others. But now, Myta and I had wormed our way into her heart, and our survival would be in her hands. I pulled her into my lap, feeling her internal blush even as she maintained her outward composure

"It doesn't," I said. "Only the inner doorway disrupts the flow of mana. But that effect can be very disorienting. Whoever recovers first will need to act quickly, as soon as they are able."

"Matching the size of their party means that we won't know who goes until we see them. And with the plan requiring the three of us, we'll be even more restricted." She shook her head. "Hopefully we get lucky, but Tarun taught me never to depend on luck. We'll divide out our potential companions by their size and build. And if you," she glanced pointedly at Sati, "think it will be too much of a strain, then we will find another way."

I squeeze my arms around the apsara's waist, and we all nodded in acceptance of Myta's words.

"This period of waiting will be difficult," I noted. "We can practice and prepare, but not too strenuously, as we'll need to be ready to act at any time. And while we need to be careful and cautious, every second that passes is another second during which more shifters may be corrupted. We must move with deliberate haste."

Everyone nodded, except Saoirse, who stalked away while radiating bloodlust and impatience. I looked after with concern, as did nearly everyone else in the meeting.

"Will she be able to keep her head, if she's in the initial group?" Myta was the one to voice the question we were all considering.

"Aye," Siobhan sounded less confident than I'd prefer. "She just feels this personally. But she's a good hunter, she knows how to lay an ambush."

"Alright," my flame reluctantly accepted. "I think the only other person as compact as her is Denu, and she will be needed elsewhere. Let's talk about hunting and supplies."

The meeting moved on, and I paid only the barest amount of attention as it concerned items outside of my expertise. I petted Sati out of sight of the rest of the group, knowing that taking such casual liberties both calmed and titillated her, but my heart wasn't really in it. I enjoyed teasing the former princess, but I still couldn't shake the shadows of my memories.

When the meeting drew to a close I pulled the apsara aside, sending a quick thought to Myta to apprise her of my intentions. I couldn't afford to spend all of our mana on reforging another section of my spirit, but there was another issue I could address to aid us. One that would hopefully keep my mind occupied for at least a little while.

"I think I know how to solve your rune problem," I said to Sati, after pulling her off into woods outside of camp. We settled beneath a towering redwood, sitting on a conveniently large and flat boulder that was clutched in its roots.

"Now that we understand our domain better, I think that the rune resides there, in your section of the Radiant Sea," I continued. "That is why you couldn't affect it from your inner world, and I couldn't find it in your spirit body."

"Then wouldn't we have seen it as we practiced?" She sounded skeptical, but not adversarial, which I took as a good sign. Ever since discovering how strong the rune's influence was, I was impressed by her mental fortitude in not reflexively dismissing the opinions of others out of hand.

"Not necessarily," I replied to her question. "I get the impression that our domain is much larger, or maybe deeper, than we've seen. When we practice, we mostly manifest a small portion of it in the physical world. We haven't tried to explore the domain itself more deeply."

Sati nodded. "So you want to try that now? Explore the domain?"

"Your portion of it, specifically." I agreed. "I'm not sure exactly how this will work, as I don't think we can physically transition there yet, but I have a few ideas."

It was coming on evening, the day after we had passed the ruin. After we had made camp our investigations and planning had eaten up a large amount of time. Now the sunlight was fading beneath the forest canopy, but an early moonrise somehow painted the space silver. I spared a thought for our security, the ruin wasn't terribly far after all, but I sensed Ket nearby. I was certain she would warn us if anyone approached.

"Just tell me what to do daddy." Sati's words caught me a little off-guard, and I took a moment to search her expression for any sign of sarcasm or mockery. But her tone was completely serious, her face fixed in the small l half-smile that she wore at her most focused. I didn't even think she'd realized what she had called me.

"To start, we summon our domain, as usual." We focused our presences to do just that, drawing on Myta as well. Within seconds we had manifested the domain, but rather than Simply layering it over us and our surroundings, I attempted to will myself into it. Immediately I felt an immense strain on my spirit, and I aborted my effort. The portions of my spirit that had not yet been reforged shrieked in belated warning, shivering like a struck gong.

*Not like that, clearly.* I laughed in relief at my narrow escape, even as the remaining cracks in my anima spread a little further. It was agonizing, but the sensation settled after only a few moments, leaving me not much worse than before.

*Didn't you just say that we wouldn't be able to enter physically?* Sati was channeling Myta's most unamused tone. I actually felt her mental voice as though it was Myta's, rather than an imitation of tone.

*I clearly didn't form my intent properly.* I replied. *I didn't mean to try transferring my body, but the overlap between the physical, mental, and spiritual, is confusing.*