Tested by the Night (30 page)

“But—but,” she cried.

“No buts.” He glanced up at her and winked. “At least not yet.”

His hand caressed a breast, full and soft and yielding, with its rosy nipple pert and begging for a kiss and a quick nip. “How about if we start a little higher than that sweet, little ass of yours?”

He latched his lips around the pebbly hard nipple and sucked.

Mia gasped, and then moaned. “Oh, that’s nice, very nice.”

He chuckled.

She was like warm butter in his hands, all soft and silky smooth, and the closeness of her enticing scent wafted all around them and mixed with his musky arousal. It was a heady concoction and one that had him hardening almost to the point of pain.

He kissed her again. The tip of her cute little nose, the edge of her delectable lips, her cheeks, her earlobes, and her neck before going back, fully capturing her mouth, and luxuriating in her essence. She tasted like what he’d always thought a queen would taste, exotically sweet mixed with a hint of something tart, combined with power—true, undeniable power. It emanated all around her, seeped from her very pores.

Mia Hammerstrike herself might be confused about her destiny, but Talon Starkweather wasn’t in the least. He knew exactly what she was and what she’d someday become. It humbled him to touch her like this, to comfort her, to love her if even for a short time. His cock pulsed, making its demands upon his mind and body.

How he needed this woman even more than his next heartbeat or breath.

“I’d like to draw this out all night and pleasure you for hours on end.” He sighed into her neck as his cock rocked against her, seeking her heat, her moist opening. “But God Draka help me, I can’t this time, Mia. I need you too badly. I must be inside you this very moment.”

She had the audacity to giggle, and he swatted her on the rump. “Laugh now, but it’ll be your sighs and screams of pleasure I’ll be hearing in a moment, minx.”

He rose up on his knees and brought her with him, sitting back and positioning her directly in front of him, on his lap, with her legs spread wide and her knees up against the outside of his hips. He took a warm, soft breast into each of his hands and tweaked her nipples again before wrapping his arms around her. He hauled her snug up against his chest and captured her mouth once more. In the same motion, he slid his hands to her ass and lifted her high enough to impale himself deep within her moist, tight, awaiting heat.

She did sigh then as her sleek pussy enveloped him, and with a smile, he grasped her hips, and over and over, he thrust and thrust and thrust.

Her pussy was like warmed liquid silk caressing his cock, and he almost shot his load with his very first strokes. He didn’t though. He held himself in check with every bit of willpower he possessed.

For the trickling of sand through a full hourglass, he’d listened to Mia’s anguish, wracking his brain as to what he could do to ease her suffering. Plunging in and out of her sweet pussy, driving her wild with ecstasy was all he’d come up with. He hoped it would be enough.

The red mist of barbarian lust threatened to overcome him, and he fought it back. Tonight wasn’t for him. This was for Mia.

Instead of allowing the lust fog to descend, he slipped a single finger between her folds, found her little nub of pleasure, and stroked, hard and fast.

She gasped, then moaned, as she suddenly took over the rhythm of their lovemaking.

He allowed it without even a thought and simply sat back enjoying the sight of her satisfying herself upon his cock. Her rich cinnamon tresses playfully slapped her ass as the muscles of her thighs contracted and then relaxed as she rode him. Her head was thrown back, her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open, her breath coming in quick little gasps, and her nostrils slightly flaring.

God Draka help him, but she was beautiful and perfect and smart and everything he could never truly possess. But his heart was hopelessly lost to her now and forever, and he didn’t have a clue as to how to remedy that situation. There was nothing on Albrath or in the heavens above that would ever change his feelings for her.

How was he ever going to walk away? She slapped him on the shoulder. “Am I boring you, Barbarian? Just because I’m on the top doesn’t mean I should have to do all the work. Move your ass.”

He chuckled and put his worries from his mind for the moment. Mia was right. Tonight was for her, and she certainly shouldn’t have to work too awfully hard for her prize.

Without effort, he rose with her still impaled upon his cock and walked toward the wall of the small chamber they’d been given for the night. Her eyes widened as he pressed her back up against the cool panels of the wall, but she smiled that impish smile he so loved as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist.

He chuckled again as he leaned in close and whispered, “Hold on, my lady. This barbarian is about to move his lazy ass a time or two just for you.”

Not another word was said as he gripped her hips, pulled back, and plunged into her sweet pussy once more. Sweat beaded his brow, and his breath came fast and hard, but he ignored it. He even ignored his still very tender muscles from the
friendly
scuffle he’d participated in with Talmuk.

Nothing else mattered.

Nothing but Mia and being deep inside of her, being one with her.

This time, when the red fog of barbarian lust threatened to overcome him, he allowed it to envelope them both. He welcomed it even. And when, a short time later, she spasmed around him and her screams of ecstasy filled his ears, his cock contracted of its own volition and his hot seed spurted forth, filling her right back as his only coherent response.

****

The two day journey back to The Academy of Magical Arts had been much easier than Mia anticipated. It seemed they were in God Draka’s favor, after all. The winds had been at their backs from morning ’til night, the sun above bright and shiny, the blue sky cloudless, and the portals they traveled through free of delays or glitches.

The nights had even been exceedingly pleasant.

Though summer was closing in around them quickly, the evening temperatures had been just right for sleeping. Not so cold as to have need of heavy furs, but not so warm as to wake in a sweat. Even with a big barbarian wrapped snuggly about her.

The thought brought a smile to Mia’s face.

And it hadn’t been just the temperature, either. Two of Albrath’s three glorious moons had been in full phase the entire trip. They’d cast an almost magical soft, opalescent glow upon the landscape. And the third moon, though not quite as full and not quite as big, still managed to light the eastern portion of the night sky, with a million stars twinkling in its background.

And her companions? What the VoT had gotten into them? Did they not realize the gravity of what had transpired in Oreeghan? Had it bothered none of them in the least that they’d left Ohfeelya behind? At the mercy of a bunch of ogres?

Well, it bothered her, and if she had to look upon one more smiling face today, she’d probably punch someone.

Like Talon. Though usually stanch, he’d probably grinned more at her on this trip back to The Academy than she could ever recall seeing his lips curl up. Even Pierced and Alistair had been on their very best behavior. They hadn’t fought with each other or anyone else about anything for days. And there hadn’t been a single grumble or gripe from anyone. Not even Pearl, who’d hunted not just for herself but brought meat enough for all into the camp every night.

It was creepy. It was strange. It was almost surreal.

But then she was probably over analyzing the situation.

So what if everyone was acting a little weird. Should she even be concerned? When had pleasant behavior become bizarre in the first place? And could she really blame any of them for not acting as they normally would? As sour as her demeanor had been of late, it was probably no surprise they avoided unpleasantness of any shape or form while in her presence. She’d probably brought it upon herself by being more than a little objectionable as of late.

Still, foreboding, like a gray angry cloud, followed every step closer to The Academy she took.

She should’ve been glad the journey was almost over. Thankful she’d be standing before the council of elders in just the dropping of a few more grains of sand through the hourglass. She should’ve been happy this second of her three quests was all but done. She should’ve even been ecstatic that, if everything went as planned, this very evening she’d be in the presence of her parents. That she’d get to talk with her mother, laugh with her father, and once again be held within their embrace, snug and safe, if only for a short time.

But exuberance wasn’t what she was feeling.

No matter how hard she tried, Mia couldn’t shake the sense of impending doom. It had followed her, plagued her, and tormented her all the way from Mooktar. Just like an impending storm about to burst wide open, about to drown her in its wake.

“A platt for your thoughts, princess,” Talon whispered.

The scent of him, fresh sunshine mixed with gorgeous, lusty barbarian, wafted all around her, and Mia longed to forget about leaving Ohfeelya behind and about her upcoming meeting with the council. All she wanted in all of Albrath was to head straight for her rooms, and her bed, with this man, all alone. She’d stay there for at least a week or two, just long enough for her responsibilities, her worries to fade away, to be forgotten, if only for a short time.

To VoT with the impossibly hard quests, with the problems of the entire ogre nation, with Ohfeelya and Uncle Leeky and Aunt Laycee’s response to her being held captive, and especially to VoT with the stupid barbarian crown.

She didn’t even want to be queen anymore. The price was too high.

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him so.

Instead she stiffened her spine and her resolve. These quests were no longer just about her, if they’d ever been. Many people, including Talon, Ohfeelya, Pierced, Alistair, and even, Pearl, the dragon had given of themselves to help her. How could she walk away because none of this was coming easy? Was she really such a coward? Such a pretty, pretty princess, after all?

“I think I’m just tired,” she whispered back. “I’ll be glad when this day is over. I…I just need a good night’s sleep.”

Talon wrapped his big arms about her and pulled her in close. “I’ll be right there beside you, princess. You can always lean on me. You know that, don’t you?”

Mia reveled in the feel of him, the scent of him, the safety his arms promised, the comfort they gave. Tears stung her eyes, but she fought them back and gulped. “I know you’ll always be there, Talon. You’ve been there every step of the way from the very beginning, and I…I thank you for it.”

She wanted to say more. Should’ve said more. But her words sounded phony, even to her own ears. She wanted to come clean. She wanted to tell him what she’d decided and why. He had a right to know she was done with putting others in danger for her own gain. That when this last quest began, whenever it began, and wherever it would take her, she’d be going alone.

She didn’t say another word, however. She knew there’d be a fight if she did, and she didn’t have a whole lot of fight left in her. She was too tired, her heart too heavy.

So instead, Mia simply nodded. There’d be time later to say her goodbyes to Talon Starkweather and all of those who’d helped her along the way. And when the goodbyes were said and done, then she’d put her plan in motion.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Give it to me.”

Mia gaped at Duke Algen Daggertoss. The man was practically salivating. A thin sheen of moisture wet the top of his crazily grinning mouth. His eyes were huge and wild. And if he wrung his hands together with any more friction, he’d start a spark, if not a full-blown fire, even without kindling.

She shook her head and gripped Queen Adrina’s spear tighter. “I don’t think so. It doesn’t belong to you.”

The duke roared. “Of course, it belongs to me, you silly chit. And not just me but the entire barbarian nation. Those filthy ogres thought they could keep it from us forever. Well, I’ve shown them, haven’t I?” His voice became almost a whine, and his hands twitched. “Be a good little princess and hand it over. If you’re smart, you’ll do as I’ve commanded. That is, if you truly aspire to one day be a ruling queen of our people. The quest demands it of you.”

She shook her head again. “This spear was a gift to the ogre people from Queen Adrina herself and as such belongs to them. They were gracious enough to loan it to me for a short while, and I’ll be returning it to them as soon as we’re done here.”

He stomped his foot. “You will do no such thing.”

The duke motioned to a full contingent of barbarian guards. “Seize that spear this moment and bring it to me.”

Mia braced her feet and legs for the upcoming confrontation and gripped the shaft of the spear as tightly as she could. If anyone, even her own people, were going to take Queen Adrina’s spear from her, then they were VoT well going to pry it from her lifeless fingers. She’d given her word to the Sen Jeasa, to Talmuk, to Ohfeelya, to the entre ogre nation. She’d not break it. Not for her very life, and certainly not for a stupid crown.

Taking a deep breath, she sent up a quick prayer to God Draka and watched in horror as the delegation of huge barbarian warriors took their first steps toward her.

Before the guards could take another step, she was completely surrounded.

Talon’s broad back and fine ass blocked her view, with Uncle Leeky on her right, and Cousin Walaford Titwilder on her left. And from behind, she could feel the bare plastic feet of Pierced’s blow-up barbarian, Bruno, poking her.

She smiled for the first time all day, and then shuddered as she realized it was the absurdity of the situation that had brought the smile to her face. After all, what could she, one barbarian warrior, two gnomes, a half troll, and a blow-up doll do against an entire contingent of well-trained soldiers?

She was surprised, though, when a moment later, Talon simply stretched out a hand instead of raising his voice. In a sound barely above a whisper he said only one word. “Halt.”