“Kendrick is fun to tease, but Shakti doesn’t like me.”
Yelena nodded, her gorgeous curls swaying with the movement. “Fair enough, precious. Let me give you a boost before we get there, then.”
She backed me up against the elevator walls, mouth descending against mine with a nip of her fangs on my lip.
Power sizzled through me, igniting my core and making my limbs tingle. Yelena kissed with all the ferocity of a predator and my silly little prey brain loved it.
When the door dinged and she pulled away, I swayed toward her. Shakti and Calliope waited for us, Calliope in a wheelchair with Murdoch at her side. She hadn’t been feeling particularly well lately so I hadn’t had any lessons with her yet, and I was pretty sure Shakti was avoiding that responsibility altogether.
“Let’s get a move on,” said Shakti. “I have work to do.”
The five of us dipped into the ward room and I settled on the dirt floor, waiting while Shakti and Yelena did the same. Shakti looked deeply unimpressed as she laced our fingers and stretched them through the ward to her artifact—a shiny wooden mandala with intricate carving and tiny jewel insets.
The draw of power was instant when I made contact. Yelena supported me, her hands at my waist and her thumbs stroking gently along my sides. Without her charging me as we went, the effect was immediate. The artifact slurped down my energy like a kid in summer with a lemonade, and only when I started to drop off did Yelena forcibly pull me away.
My vision blurred out. The Shakti blob stood and departed without another word.
“One moment, please, Calliope dear,” Yelena said as she gathered me close. Her fingertips brushed over my cheek and down my throat in a smooth rhythmic pattern. Her touches were light, not straying anywhere provocative. The prick of her claws on my scalp when she cupped my head had me squirming, my vision clearing almost instantly.
I reached for her when I had the strength to do so, thrilling when she dipped her mouth to my throat and let her fangs tease me there. Desire rocked through me, and with it, a surge of energy that recalibrated me back to normal.
“Do you still want to do another charging unassisted?” Yelena asked.
I shook my head. “I forgot how much it sucks.”
Yelena turned to Calliope and Murdoch. “We’re ready for you.”
Murdoch scooped up his mate and settled her next to us. Just like the others had done, Calliope took my hand and pushed it through the ward until I met her artifact—a bronze dodecahedron that still shone in its beautiful coppery tone without an ounce of tarnish.
“Murdoch, be a dear and close your eyes while I take apart our witch so she doesn’t pass out.”
He respectfully turned away but didn’t go far from his mate, letting her rest against him and keeping her other hand twined with his. Calliope, for her part, seemed to be trying not to stare overtly, but it only lasted a few seconds at a time as Yelena dipped her fingers beneath my skirt.
My breathing shallowed, my hips canting against her hand. The steady output of power was infinitely more pleasant than letting myself be drained dry, not to mention I got to enjoy Yelena playing with me. Each whimper she drew out of me prompted her to boost her speed and pressure until she descended into my cunt with a slick sound that filled the air with the scent of jasmine.
“That’s it, precious. You’re doing so well.”
I squirmed desperately, letting my magic flow like a fountain out of me.
She coaxed me up and up, brushing my clit until I teetered on the edge. My pussy frantically gripped her fingers and her hand stilled, halting my pleasure.
“No,” I whimpered.
Yelena pulled me away from the artifact, my whole body electrified.
Calliope’s eyes were wide, her lips softly parted as she stared at me. “I wish I got a power boost from that.”
Yelena chuckled, cuddling me close. “It’s rather convenient. Not so much on a battlefield, but while we’re in close quarters it certainly helps.”
“Do you think it will come down to that?” Calliope asked. “How are we supposed to fight?”
“I won’t let it take the nest,” I promised. “Whatever happens, I’ll do anything I can to protect this place.”
Calliope smiled. “That’s why you’re so well suited to this role. I’ll admit I was nervous, even if I was willing to give you a chance. The nest is lucky to have you.”
“Even though I’m the reason it’s in danger?”
Calliope waved the question off. “We don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come here. What if that thing had killed you and then found all of these nests unable to withstand it? I prefer to think that without you coming here, much more damage could’ve been done.”