Page 86 of Scion of Chaos

“Whatever my pretty girl desires,” I say.

I reach for the hem of her shirt, and she obediently lifts her arms for me to pull it over her head. Then I squat and begin unbuckling her boots. I’d leave them on her too, but her pants are tucked into them, so they have to go. They’re flimsier than mine, but their hardware is no less elaborate, minus any weapons.

“We’ll have to get you some sturdier boots if you’re going to be fighting with us. These look nice, but aren’t quite practical. Are they even real leather?” I peer inside one when I get it off her, eyeing the fabric layer adhered to its interior.

“Pleather,” she says. “Much cheaper than the real thing. So does this mean I’m actually going to get to join a fight?”

I curse inwardly for suggesting it. I have no idea what Vesh’s plans are for her, but if she’s this talented with her magic in the bedroom after only a couple days, it won’t take long for her to be ready to join us when we face off against the Titans.

“Makes sense to be prepared,” I say. “The kind of focus you had when you used your power on me a moment ago suggests you’re already figuring things out. The fact that you’re intuitively using it in non-combat situations is especially promising.”

“You mean like for sex? You liked what I did? It felt like manifesting an extension of whatever I was touching. Like your little rod thingie.” She glances to the side and finds mylittle rod thingie, then hooks the hoop over her finger, dangling the shining void glass sounding plug off it while she leans back and smiles down at me.

My breath leaves my lungs and I stop unbuckling her other boot for a moment just to absorb her presence. She’s still wearing a black brassiere, her full breasts lush and round, her hard nipples jutting against the lace. So delicate a garment for a woman who is decidedlynotdelicate after the things I’ve seen her do thus far. I get a better view of the splotch of purple I saw on her side the day before, and the intricate detail of the large octopus is astonishing. It’s almost as if it watches me, guarding its mistress.

Returning to my task, I yank off her other boot and set it by the first, then reach for her buttons. She leans back farther, tilting her hips up and biting her lip.

“I loved what you did,” I finally answer. “But I’d like to take this slowly. Prove to you how much it means to me that you’re even here.”

I get her pants off and look at her from where I’m kneeling. We are at eye-level, and she sits forward again, scooting to the edge of my bed while she holds my gaze. She’s looking at me so intently, I feel her boring into my soul. My vision shifts strangely under her scrutiny, and I rock back, disconcerted for a moment.

“Do you feel that?” she whispers. “I almost forgot to test our bond now that I’ve tasted you. But it’s there, isn’t it?”

“Don’t…” I blurt, stomach lurching at the sliding sensation that’s taking over me, like my mind has slipped out from under me and is skidding down into an abyss.

I scramble back and wind up on my ass, blinking up at her. She stares with wide-eyed concern. “I—I’m sorry. I thought you’d want to be bonded too.”

Confusion sends a wash of clammy prickles over my body, and I do my best to shake it off and sit up again. “I do. But that felt like…”Like being dragged to Tartarus the first time.

“Did I do it wrong? With the others, I just opened my mind, and they werethere. They’re not right now, but they can come and go. Maybe I pulled too hard? I just want to do this right.”

Her voice wavers, and my stomach sinks at the disappointment in her tone. I return to my knees and rest my hands on her thighs. “I doubt it was you. And hell yes, I want to be bonded with you, but can we put that on hold for now? I just want to beherewith you. Let me make you feel good, pretty girl.”

I smirk and raise an eyebrow at her as I slide my hands higher up her thighs and lean between her knees. The vertigo she caused disappears when I’m in contact with her and I let out a slow breath of relief. I slide my arms around her torso, and she hooks both her arms around my neck, closing in for a tight embrace.

It’s unexpectedly desperate, not the embrace of a woman craving sex, but of one craving simpletouch, which is a desire I know all too well. She presses her face into my neck and inhales deeply, then heaves a shuddering sigh, holding me even tighter.

“What is it?” I ask, lifting a hand to stroke her hair.

“I don’t know what I’m doing here,” she whispers. “I’m just trying to go with it, but I’m not used to feelinguseless. At home all I did was work, which was one of the reasons I left. At the school I worked too, but it was the first time in my life I felt like that work was all formeand not a response to the expectations of my elders.For the first time, I was part of a community that placed more focus on individual goals, but it was still a community, you know? A family.”

I don’t actually know, but I hold her tighter and make what I hope are understanding sounds. “You aren’t useless,” I offer.

She huffs and pulls back, a dark scowl marring her pretty features. “Ugh, seriously? All I’ve done since I’ve been here is fuck. Not that it hasn’t been mind-blowing every time, but I want todosomething. Train me. Put me to work. Make me feel like I’m making a difference.”

I raise my eyebrows at this and I drop my gaze to her barely covered breasts and soaked panties. “Not the sort of begging I’d have hoped for the first time in thousands of years I get a girl into my bed.”

She lets out an ironic snort, her shoulders sagging. “I know, right? I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. This is something I can absolutely help with, but it seems to me that you have been practicing and trainingduringsex, and it’s working for you.”

I look at the ceiling trying to find the words to explain why this is significant. When it comes to me, I look into her eyes again.

“Focus during distraction is a crucial skill during a fight. When emotions are high, being able to perform despite fear of death is important. Testing your magic in the middle of sex is just the opposite side of the coin. Fighting, after all, is not all that different from fucking. It can be a dance. Emotions are often high. In a good fight—or bad, depending on perspective—you’re connected to your opponent in a very visceral way. The same goes for sex.”

She tilts her head and gives me a dubious look. “I don’t need talking into it, if that’s what you’re trying to do here.”

I let out a laugh. “I promise it’s not a line. I felt it first-hand. Not to mention if you got the big guy off with your magic, that had to take serious skill and focus. So until you’ve bonded with all of us maybe consider every tryst an opportunity to test your magic. Or we can get dressed again and go hit the dummies for a bit. I might have a sword you can wield.”

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