A sensual summoning, p.25
A Sensual Summoning, page 25
“Give it a try and I’ll let you know.”
“Why do I feel like I’ve just been hoodwinked into making you food?”
“It’s the least you can do after tiring me out last night.”
“Point taken,” Raef grumbled, stepping out of her space to glare at the stove. He didn’t have a clue what he was doing.
She shifted out of the way to give him space to work, ready to put out any accidental fires or explosions. She was a dab hand at it with her track record of temperamental potions and brews.
“Uh… butter…” She heard him mumble to himself. He’d watched her make her own, so all the ingredients still littered the counter, his eyes scanning the intimidating array of items before finding the butter dish.
There was something uniquely hilarious and adorable about so large a man timidly scraping butter onto a knife that looked shrunken in his hand. His frown told her he was concentrating, the bread his next adversary when too strong a swipe broke the fluffy freshness, resulting in a curse from the Daemon.
Leaving him to it, she went to sit at the table this time, pulling out the chair that had his jacket tossed over the back of it.
The corner of something red poked out from the pocket, catching her attention while she tried to keep her eye on Raef who was tentatively slicing the block of cheddar to pile onto the bread. She might’ve ignored it had the mottled color not looked so much like blood.
“What’s this?” she asked mildly, pulling the parchment out.
“Hm?” He didn’t hear her over the hiss of the pan when he added the haphazard sandwich, refusing to take his eyes of it lest it flee the pan and run, the spatula held ready to beat it back if need be.
The distinct stamp of the Covenant chilled her the moment she saw it, the incubus looking over at her when her emotions spiked. Whatever appetite she had disappeared at her blood-stained name listed as the recipient.
“That—” He put the plate of grilled cheese down on the table when he took a seat. “It was on one of the warlocks. I found it this morning.”
“They really were here to take me…” Blood pumped wildly in her ears, her mind struggling to read while still picking out some key pieces of information that added fuel to an ever-growing fire she couldn’t contain.
‘Suspicious fluctuations in magic levels… only Covenant member (former) in the area… considerable violations of Forsaken status…’
‘Inspectors will determine the need for further action and the severity of any lawbreaking.’
“You said that this morning.” Raef dragged the seat of his chair with one hand around the table until his knees framed hers. “What aren’t you telling me, little witch?”
She already knew those warlocks had been here for her, but seeing it confirmed in black and white, in blood, cemented a probability into a certainty. Somehow, the difference was staggering as her heart hammered in her chest.
“I’m…no longer part of the Covenant.”
“You left?” He frowned, bracing his elbows on his knees.
She shook her head reluctantly. There was no use hiding it anymore, she’d been found out. “When the Greater Daemons left, and the magic began to die out, the Covenant began looking for ways to preserve as much of what remained as possible… for those who deserved it.”
His jaw ticked with a barely suppressed noise when she glanced up at him under her lashes. It soothed her, funnily enough, to see his anger. That someone other than herself might see the injustice.
“Anyone deemed too weak by the Council was cast out as Forsaken, like me.”
“Cast out…” His tone was difficult to read, a chilled response she hadn’t been expecting.
“Banished. Exiled. Cut off like a diseased limb to stop an infection.” She was trying to make light of the situation unknowingly with her tone, the atmosphere suddenly too thick for her. Her weak laughter was met by stony silence, petering off into nothing. “I wasn’t supposed to continue practicing, but since magic is genetic regardless of how weak it is… I was expected to stop out of… I dunno.”
She turned to glance out the cheery blue-paned window overlooking the garden in thought.
“Love for my family? Respect for the elders who sentenced me? Understanding of the ‘greater good’?”
She sighed, dropping her gaze back between them where her knees had slotted between both of his, the power brimming from where his skin touched hers holding her together. “Maybe it was selfish not to give up, but I—”
“You’re a witch,” he finished for her, something choking her at his easy acceptance of that fact.
She nodded, rubbing the heel of her palm over her eyes that suddenly blurred.
“And summoning a familiar…” He was piecing everything together far quicker than she anticipated. Faye nodded mutely as she sniffled, letting the sudden melancholy pass her by.
“I wanted to change the hand I’d been dealt, that’s all.” Exhaling, she lifted her head where she met somber, dark eyes. “The chance to be on the same level as other witches, to do things they could do easily or finally meet the expectations placed on me.”
Something seemed to resonate in the Daemon when his fingers flexed on his knee, the only giveaway she managed to glean from his otherwise impassive exterior. But she was learning, and it was a nicer thing to think about than the elephant in the room.
“Fuck their expectations.” He finally growled.
“Huh?” That wasn’t what she was expecting.
“You heard me.” He cupped the back of her neck comfortably, forcing her to look at him. “Fuck their expectations and fuck their letter. You’re not part of their circus anymore, right? They banished you.” She flinched but nodded regardless. “Then their laws are meaningless, little witch.”
His voice softened a fraction, a soothing rasp that rumbled against her skin. He could probably say anything to her in that voice, and she’d believe him.
“You owe them nothing.”
Opaque glass seemed to shatter before her eyes, an instance of clarity that loosened the subconscious hold she still had on the barbed wire of her old life. He was right.
Hands bloody, the realization was painful. But now free from the blades that ate into her flesh, they could begin healing. She caught his softened expression and Faye breathed in what felt like the first deep breath she’d taken in years.
“That’s my witch.” He dragged the plate towards them. “Now, eat. You need to build your energy back up.”
That was all to it. He dropped the subject of the Covenant like it was nothing. They were nothing to her anymore and Faye smiled, glancing at the plate that sat between them like an offering of freedom if she took a bite.
The sandwich didn’t smell terrible, now that she thought about it, but the gleam in his gaze promised that he was getting as much out of it as she was.
“It feels weird eating alone…” She huffed. “I feel rude.”
“Is that so? Let’s eat together, then.” Her eyes widened when he dropped to his knees in front of her, large hands spreading her thighs slowly to open her up to him. Without any underwear, there was nothing in the way of his hot breath on her suddenly throbbing core.
“Raef!” She made to close her legs, her knit dress riding up to her hips from his hands while she gripped the side of the table to keep her balance.
“What? You said nothing could compare to a toastie… I’m putting that to the test.” As he spoke, he kissed the supple flesh of her inner thigh, her clit pulsing with need. A swipe of his fingers between her lips had him humming in approval when he popped them both in his mouth to lick her essence off.
“Now be good and eat your dinner while I enjoy mine.”
His carefully crafted sandwich sat forgotten on the plate with a single bite missing when he dove between her legs, his intention clear as he proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was definitely something more pleasurable than a perfectly cooked grilled cheese.
Chapter 50
The following week passed in a blur with November making way for the long nights and frost-tipped mornings of December.
Last year, December had been marked by loneliness for Faye. Her first Yule alone, the weather cold, and not even her beloved plants awake as they slumbered until spring. All she could do was read, engrossing herself in the stories of others to keep her company.
She hadn’t read a thing since Raef told her there was no time limit on freeing him.
Her days were filled instead with hot touches and wandering lips at the drop of a hat. Whether it was being woken up to his face between her legs, a heated quickie against a tree during one of their walks, or the drawn-out hours of foreplay in front of the fire, Faye’s days were filled. Along with a few other places too.
She knew the problems that brought them together still existed. But for now, those problems were locked outside in the cold while they continued to indulge in each other in her cottage.
It didn’t prevent her curiosity though, and in the moments they weren’t fucking like rabbits, they talked.
Or, she talked, and he listened. Adding his two cents every so often or if she prompted him for his opinion.
He never seemed to mind, his fingers running up and down her bare spine lazily as she chatted about anything and everything that crossed her mind. When she caught herself rambling, apologizing to him out of habit, he just hummed with a sleepy smile and told her to continue.
It never failed to send her heart into a flutter.
This was one such time.
A blanket tossed haphazardly over her lower body to keep her somewhat warm, she propped herself up on her elbows with her glass of water to rehydrate and her notebook of personally adapted poultices she needed to start making if she wanted to be ready for spring.
They’d spent the afternoon at the stream where Raef told her he’d killed several acolytes and voiced his concern about the contamination. Faye had been distressed, immediately looking for solutions while he declared her more than capable of cleaning the water with magic.
She thought he was overestimating her powers, especially after discovering her Forsaken status.
Spellcasting was the most complex form of magical practice. Unlike the potions and poultices she commonly used her magic for, spellcasting relied almost entirely on a witch’s connection to the magical pulse of the earth.
He’d been silent for a time, Faye squirming with awkwardness until he finally suggested she use him as an anchor if she needed it. It was a tremendous offer; one she was sure she misheard. For a Daemon to expose the soft underbelly of his existence so she could use him as a conduit for her power was unheard of.
Still, she jumped at the chance, and with her hand on his arm, miraculously purged the stream and connecting lake of tainted magic. It was exhilarating and new and left them both horny as his mouth worked on her neck while she cast.
Hours later, and her skin was still buzzing from the adrenaline of completing such complex magic because of him. That extended to her mouth as she chatted his ear off mindlessly.
“…and I can’t believe they could contaminate the water that much. Did you see how ashy it looked when we first got there?” Raef hummed in what she assumed was agreement from where he lay. “I hope it hasn’t affected the surrounding wildlife too much... do you think it’ll need to be cleansed again? I didn’t see any bodies and if they’re still there, they might—”
“Their bodies are gone.” He exhaled long and slow, basking in his afterglow and the contentedness of a full stomach after painstakingly checking she hadn’t been completely overtaken by his pheromones. “If they didn’t completely disintegrate from my weapons, then they very soon did when age finally caught up with them.”
“Daemon weapons are really that powerful, huh…” She eyed the last ring of silver surrounding his bicep, the other nowhere to be seen. “Where do they come from?”
Raef grunted noncommittally. “From me.”
Her attention well and truly off her list, she dropped her cheek into her hand. The image of him forging said weapons should not have looked nearly as sexualized as her imagination made it out to be. “Oh, so you make them?”
His eyes slid to hers knowingly, the corner of his lips quirking. “In a way. Daemonic emblems are made using a droplet of the Daemon’s raw essence. We’re not very trusting creatures, so having weapons made as an extension of ourselves is for the best.”
“I didn’t know you were able to…transfer power somewhere else.” Faye’s mind popped with the excitement of new knowledge, the incubus so much more pliable than before when it came to her curiosity. He almost seemed to enjoy her interest, indulging her wonder. “In the Covenant—” He growled under his breath at their mention. “For witches…” she amended. “If you don’t possess the power within yourself, then it doesn’t exist.”
Raef snorted. “A very narrow view for so progressive a time.”
She didn’t respond, intrigued instead by the possibilities of transferred power and what it could entail. Memories of the near sentience of his influence surrounded her and his magic when she cleansed the stream swam in her mind. It explained why she could always feel his power compared to even the strongest elders on the Council.
Goddess, even the claws that appeared to protect her from the attacking acolyte held hints of his power. The golden color, the ache in her palm. Was it all just manifestations of his power concentrated in one area?
But one thing still didn’t add up with what he said.
“I didn’t disintegrate today.” It came out of left field, the incubus blinking at her.
“Why would you?”
“When I used your magic to cleanse the water, it touched me and felt… really fucking good, but nothing bad happened like when it touched those acolytes.” Elaborating quieted her tone, self-conscious now that his eyes were on her.
“My magic?”
Nodding, she turned back to her list to scribble down a few messy ingredients to their corresponding potion that she was running low on.
“I think you’ve misunderstood something, little witch.” Glancing up at where he rolled to his side to face her, a faint frown marred his features.
“I might’ve been a catalyst, but you did all the work.” He yawned, his hand finding her lower back to stroke absently. He was ridiculously tactile, she came to realize, touching her at any opportunity. It warmed her blood, and she couldn’t keep the smile off her face when he did it.
This time though, her smile was tinged with confusion as he dropped a lazy kiss below her ear.
“You underestimate yourself, love,” he rumbled quietly, docile in his post-sex lightness. “Just because a flower can’t flourish beneath thorny brambles, doesn’t mean it’s doomed to wilt if it’s planted somewhere else.”
Goosebumps tightened on her skin when he followed the words with a kiss to her neck, sealing it into her skin with sincerity.
“All you needed was a counterweight to balance you out, and with one… you thrived.”
Turning her face so her nose bumped his, she sought any glimmer of jest in his expression. He was serious as ever, gaze unwavering beneath messy waves as he dared her to say he was lying. She couldn’t, kissing him instead when words evaded her.
He groaned into her mouth, cupping the side of her face to hold her in place. Her tongue explored his mouth with the guiding strokes of his own, pine and musk clouding her mind when he chuckled lowly. “Careful now… or you’ll start something you can’t finish. Weren’t you the one begging for a break?”
She shifted, pushing his shoulder so he fell back onto the mattress obediently for her to straddle his hips. Naked, his eyes traced her body appreciatively, lingering with a possessive heat she never tired of when his hands inevitably followed their path.
“Can we do it again?”
“Sex?” He grinned cheekily, gripping her hips.
“Magic.” Folding over until her breasts brushed his chest, he met her halfway while pressing her lower to where his cock lay hard on his stomach. “I don’t believe it wasn’t you…”
“You wound me.” His fingers dug into her ass hard, adjusting himself beneath her so the underside of his cock was wedged between his navel and her entrance.
“Besides, we should do something… in case more acolytes show up.” It was becoming more and more difficult to focus as he slowly guided her pussy over his thick length, every movement nudging the fat head dangerously close to entering her.
“Mm, like what?”
Even she could tell he was indulging her without really listening, his eyes glued to the way her lips spread around his girth that became wetter with her arousal.
“I-I dunno… trying to find ways to deter them? Lay traps? N-Not… this.”
“Lay traps?” The humor in his tone was only matched by the lust that forced his hips to roll up into her, craving more friction as she tried to muffle the soft noises bubbling on her tongue.
“I said I di-didn’t know…”
His chuckle was sinful when he crunched his stomach up to kiss under her jaw, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck.
“You’re really fucking cute…” He grinned against her skin when she whined, squirming in his lap only stimulating them both more when he reached down to line his cock up distractedly. “You can lay all the traps you want if you can stay awake after I’ve fucked you, how about that?”
“That’s not fair—” His cock breached her entrance suddenly, the position filling her inch by inch while he groaned into her temple.
“Did you forget already, love?” He pressed her hips down to fill her entirely. “Daemons don’t play fair.”
Chapter 51
He couldn’t believe he was actually laying traps just because Faye had asked him so earnestly. The sex was just that good. And seeing her beam at his acquiescence kept replaying in his mind as he scouted the forest again for threats.
If she thought he’d be laying bear traps or digging holes, she was sorely mistaken.
Rafael’s traps were of a more… hellish variety. Something nothing in this world could ever anticipate when he empowered an unassuming fir, identical to the hundreds that surrounded it, with some of the tricks of his homeland’s hostile environment.
