Page 42 of Awariye

"Warte, Schatz," I called for him to wait, worried I was going to blow and our fun would end early. "What do you want? You can fuck me; grab the pillow."

"Nein," he said, lilting his voice with such sass all I could do was watch and wait for him to reveal his plans.

He patted me and I clenched my abs and lifted so he could toss the pillow under my lower back and hips. Plucking the bottle of lubricant from my hands, he crawled around till he straddled my hips. Slathering both our cocks and his hole, he knelt up, steadying me at his entrance and then slowly sinking down.

I had to remind myself to breathe. He was so tight; it felt like ages since we'd last done this, but in truth I'd been pounding into him just a few days ago.

"Nngh," Awariye groaned, tilting his head back and baring his neck to me. I wanted to go up there and trace my tongue over every bit of him. I petted his thighs as he adjusted to me; then I gripped him as he rose up a bit and sank back down.

He worked up a pace, so flexible in the hips it was tantalizing to watch him, his muscles flexing and releasing as he rode my cock and drove me insane. Hands on his thighs, I clenched my ass and abs and met him stroke for stroke, pumping into him as he squeezed me tight.

Awariye began to tire and his pace faltered. Without hesitation, I sat up and slid him off me gently, guiding him onto his back. My lover lazed, shivered, and squirmed while I lubed us both up again, then scooted and lifted his bubble bum onto my lap and once again slid inside. Awariye put one leg up on my good shoulder and let the other one bend and fall wide.

I grabbed his hips and after confirming the angle felt okay, started to piston my hips and thrust. Awariye squeezed me with a gasp, telling me I'd nudged his prostate, so I aimed for that spot and gave it a good pounding. Soon he was jerking himself furiously and urging me to go faster. I fucked into him as vigorously as I could, full strokes that landed hard and jostled his balls. He squeaked and then cried out, spasming around me, and that threw me over the edge with him. I emptied my nuts into him and sighed toward the ceiling, panting and pumping just a few more times to milk myself dry and fill him up.

We took a long moment, panting into the silence, luxuriating in how well our bodies worked together and how we made each other feel.

Reverently I pulled out and eased his hips back down to the bed. Awariye's expression was so blissed out it made me grin, so pleased. He opened his arms, and I went to him, lying down carefully because of my shoulder but then nuzzling his neck and kissing his sweet lips, running my fingertips over his neck and chest.

"Welcome back," he cooed.

I smooched him. "Thank you."

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

IGOR

The next morning, Ulbrecht was pensive at breakfast, and even Wren didn't seem to know what was going on with him. The adults ate quietly while the kids interrogated Awariye about dragons and my partner jumped on the distraction from the dour mood.

The kids were asking for more story time after breakfast, but Evelyn explained they needed to study with their tutors first and they could have stories later. Ulbrecht finally looked up as the rest were leaving, touched eyes with me and Awariye, and we hung behind with Wren.

Once the door closed and we had some privacy, Ulbrecht stood and paced for a moment, arms crossed, brows furrowed. "It is spring already here on the plains, warm enough we're having incursions. It's as if the winter did not happen."

We all nodded. Indeed, though we'd had a bit of a chance to rest, we were already fighting again, and it was only early February. On the plains we'd only gotten a hand-width of snow at best. It was as if Mother Nature hadn't felt the need this year.

Then Ulbrecht stopped and turned my way, leveling his eyes on me. "I am sending you to Diana Monastery for them to look at your shoulder."

It wasn't a request. I swallowed, every part of me screaming in protest because it could take weeks to get there if the most direct passes were still snowed in. That was weeks that I wouldn't be here to guard Ulbrecht's back should the campaigns continue.

I'd never defied him, and I'd never wanted to until now.

He must have read that on my face, for his expression softened. "You've rested it for six weeks, and then just one battle has it back in a sling, Igor. That's a recurring injury that could become permanent. I want the doctors there to take a closer look."

Though it pained me, I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Corbi's a medical student at the monastery; you'll be in good hands," added Wren kindly, though this was clearly news to him, too.

"Awariye," said Ulbrecht, our conversation over. "I want you to go to the monastery and ask the senior monks to research the changes that came over Wren. This takes precedence over your upcoming travels and work for me as my bard."

Awariye nodded. "Yes, sir. I was there for everything. Something happened to me too, though clearly different and not as potent. We'll research it as best we can."

"You speak as if I'm ill," Wren protested. "I'm just seeing more of the subtle planes, etheric at least."

Ulbrecht said nothing, so Wren continued, looking to Awariye for confirmation. "A lot of power came through the chapel, and Awariye and I ended up sleeping there. If more power was echoing around rather than properly channeled, then some of it could have settled in our bodies. In the end we don't know what Cyfrinydd did for the gods. The old mystic never wrote down his methods."

"Magical methods can lose their potency when shared, hence the fourth magical virtue of silence," Awariye added. "And furthermore, he was a mystic, not a mage. His methods may not have been ones we were trained in or could hope to imitate, if they required a lifetime of mystical practices first."

"That is why I am sending you back to the mountain hut," said Ulbrecht. "You've changed,Schatz. Just one battle with the power coming through the chapel and you feel different when I hold you. You see things I can't, and sometimes you say things I don't understand."