CHAPTER 14
Spook stood at the bathroom mirror then closed his eyes, dropping his head. He wiped the fog from the mirror again with the towel and finished up. Eveque and his woman were taking the sofa bed and Spook and Maggie were attempting to sleep in the room. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen with him and her in that bed. He’d never felt more out of control.
He made his way quietly to the room and entered it. Dark. He eyed the mound under the quilt in the moonlight, seeing she was laying on the far edge. He made his way over and climbed in, wondering where her head was. Her scold about Revelator returned like a ruthless reminder of what he’d feared. She liked him. But how much and in what way was the question. He wouldn”t jump to conclusions with that. With her gift, it was too early to tell or know.
He lay there, struggling to figure out what to do and say to her. “You okay, Maggie?” he whispered.
“Yes,” she answered, her voice small.
Was she crying? He turned on his side and reached out, stroking her arm. When she touched his hand with her fingers, he scooted closer to her, stopping just shy of contact. He could feel the heat coming from her and he ached for more, for all of it. To believe it belonged to him. She still wore her bulky clothes he realized. He’d put clothes on too, a t-shirt and boxers. He needed to feel her too much to wear jeans.
“I’m sorry,” he said to her, not sure why he did.
She suddenly turned and snuggled her face against his chest, her fists at her chin.
He stroked her hair, the short side, silently admiring her perfection. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, needing her to remember he thought so.
Her warm breaths blasted against his chest, telling him she was crying.
“Shhhh, you’re okay. I got you.”
She snuggled closer to him, her hands suddenly moving under his shirt as she shivered. “I need…to feel you.”
The desperate beg had him ripping his shirt off and laying back down, pulling her against him. Fuck, what was he thinking? Now her lips and breath burned on his skin, clear to his cock. Her fingers flexed slowly and began to touch, almost nervous. Why, he wondered? Was she afraid to see things with him? Did she see what he feared? His schemes to test her? If she did, he needed to know now.
What all had she seen with the Revelator? He burned to know even while he never wanted to hear it. He couldn’t imagine having a gift that strong. He had his quirks and knew how nasty they could get but her gifts seemed way different in a more potent way.
Her fingers explored him more. “You’re safe,” he whispered, needing her to know that more than anything even while a devouring fire brewed in him.
Her lips joined her fingers, making the fire spread too fast. His cock pounded when her mouth found his nipple and sucked while her fingers continued their own mission, lower. Her mouth followed.
“Oh fuck,” he gasped, seeing where she headed. He opened his legs, helpless and hungry against the fire. “Maggie,” he whispered.
“Let me.”
A sweet beg had never crucified him more. She would kill him, and he’d find a way to let her. He opened wider and moved onto his elbows as she lay between his legs, the moonlight a perfect spotlight as she worked his boxers off. Back at his cock, she explored with her fingers and lips and God, her tongue. “Oh fuck,” he gasped, dropping his head back while strangling the covers in his fists.
“So big,” she whispered, her mouth getting ravenous along with her fingers on his balls now.
“My God,” he shot out around the burning fire. “Suck me baby.” He stroked her face with a hand, gasping when took him deep. Her moans tickled his balls as her mouth became a tool to learn every inch of him. Fuck, she learned him explicitly. “Baby,” he shuddered, holding the sides of her head in his hands now, intending to slow her down. Instead, he gripped hard and moved her faster. Her moans turned high pitched, and he couldn’t stop. “I need to come, I need to fucking come,” he warned. She pushed his legs wider, gently grabbing his balls as she moved quickly over his cock. His fingers closed in her hair as he bucked his hips, seething on the furious heat raging in his balls.
A groan strained out of him as he came so fucking hard. So fucking long. And she forced him to take it, both hands pressing his legs to the bed. Fucking fuck, yes, fuck!
He lay there as she remained between his legs, tasting and exploring with tiny moans like that was just the appetizer. He reached down and pulled her onto him, working her pants off as he did. “I need to make you come,” he said as she kissed him. “My seed is in your beautiful fucking mouth, I can taste it. You liked it?”
“Yes,” she gasped. “I loved it. So much.”
He turned, putting her on her back, shoving the huge shirt up, his mouth on her breast with a ravenous hunger the moment the material cleared them. She finished removing it while he grabbed both in his hands, moving from one to the other with a nearly pissed passion. He was between her legs, shoving them wide open, his mouth working between her pussy lips with a groan as he sucked her clit into his mouth.
“Fucking dripping wet baby,” he said as her fingers latched into his hair and he worked his finger inside her, flicking her clit with his tongue.
“Spook,” she strained, extra quietly, reminding him they had company. God, he didn’t want anybody hearing her, but his mouth sure didn’t give a fuck as he worked a second finger into her while sucking her clit and flicking the tip with his tongue again.
She gave gasp after gasp then finally a muffled moan under a pillow. He needed his mouth on hers when she fucking came.
He moved up her body and lay next to her, taking away the barrier and covering her moans with his mouth as he got back to fingering her. He held her jaw, angling her face so he could feast on all that pleasure. “Rub your pretty pussy for me, Maggie,” he said on her mouth. “I want you to come while I kiss you.”
His words set her off and she began rubbing herself and bucking as he fucked her fast and deep, his tongue in her mouth for every fucking cry. “Oh baby, come on my fucking finger, yes,” he shuddered, fighting to kiss her deeper as her fingers found his cock and wrapped it in a stranglehold. He pumped his hips, moving in and out of her hand as he continued to hammer his two fingers in her. She was suddenly on top of him, fighting to get his cock in her.
Shit. He rolled her, forcing his leg between hers.
“Please, put it in me. I need you. Fuck me.”
“Maggie,” he croaked, winded with the need to give in. “I can’t. Not yet.”
“Why?” she moaned.
“You know why,” he said, at her mouth. “Did you already forget our agreement?”
She let out many breaths, sounding tormented. “I hate this.”
“It won’t be long. You trust me, right?”
She held his cock in her hand again and he moved into her grip. “Do it like this then,” she whispered on his mouth. “Come in my hand and on my fingers.”
The fucking erotic way she said it implied it was more intimate than anything he could do. And he fucking could. “I want both your hands on my cock,” he ordered at her mouth. She wrapped them around him, and he grunted, moving slowly in and out of her hold.
“You’re fucking my hands,” she gasped around his groans and kisses.
“Yes, I’m fucking your perfect hands,” he said, moving faster.
“Oh God,” she whispered. “Will you fuck my…pussy this fast?”
That fucking question yanked his orgasm right from his balls and she took every sound it produced into her mouth like food around her moans of I love my Spooky.
When the heaven passed, he smiled on her mouth. “Your Spooky?”
She smiled back nodding.
“I love my Maggie,” he answered back, kissing her softly before collapsing next to her, exhausted. “I’m going to sleep…so fucking good,” he realized as the most divine warmth coated every muscle.
And he was right. He did sleep so good. Especially knowing that Maggie didn’t see anything he intended. But now with the way she’d responded to him, he wondered if maybe signing the contract was what he was supposed to do. What if she needed that? What if testing her and waiting was giving evil an opportunity to get an advantage? He considered his options. If he signed the contract with her before being sure, she could end up hurting him. If he waited to sign the contract, she might end up getting hurt.
That decided it. He’d risk himself, not her. They’d sign that contract first chance unless she said she didn’t want to.
****
“If you’re sure that’s what you want to do, you have my blessing,” Eveque said on the front porch early the next morning.
“It is,” Spook mumbled.
“I admire you’re putting your neck out,” Eveque said, nodding. “But I have one favor before you go.”
“Name it.”
“I need to go talk to Lazure and the rest of The Twelve. Without Mah Belle Eveque there,” Sahvrin muttered.
“Now?”
“Yes, now. Until we sign anything, codes are subject to change.”
“Oh man,” Spook said, realizing what he was intending.
“If it comes down to hurting her feelings and having her get hurt, I don’t need to tell you which I’ll do.”
“No you don’t. I’d do the same.”
“Any of them would,” he said, matter-of-factly.”
“Pretty sure you’re right. What about Mah-Mah?”
“I’ll have to talk to her.”
“She’s the only one I foresee being an issue with that,” Spook said.
“Agree,” Eveque nodded. “But I’ve got to try. Deal with the fallout after.”
“I’ll cook breakfast while you take care of that early meeting. We’ll see you in a couple hours to see us off?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Eveque paused. “Second thought, I doubt you’ll be going anywhere till after tomorrow.”
“Why?” he wondered.
“Her sister is Bat-tieing. You saw how she took that. She’ll have to be there for that, I’m sure. Maybe she’ll challenge me to a Bat-tie next for allowing it.”
Spook nodded, knowing he was right as much as he hated waiting. “I’ll see but you’re probably right.”
“Let me know either way,” Eveque said.
****
Sahvrin texted his father. Meet me at the Dragon dock. Calling an early morning meeting with The Twelve.
On his way, he texted 8-Bit. Get The Twelve in the group box for a live chit chat. Headed to the Basilique with Lazure.
At the Dragon dock, Sahvrin caught Lazure up on the prior events including Maggie and Revelator as they walked to the Basilique.
“You have a plan?” he asked.
“With what?”
“Them vile demons.”
“Revelator is my only plan right now.”
“I would like to see the picture she drew of his father if I can. I may know him.”
“You said you had news about Beth’s father,” Sahvrin said when they entered the Basilique. What is it?”
“Lafonse said he saw Roulettes around an old fishing store by the Locks, looking cah-nie. He thinks they’re up to something over there. That place has been abandoned for years and they went in it.”
“I’ll get some men to check,” Sahvrin said, praying it led to something. “You asked Mah-Mah about Aunt Claudette?”
“She said maybe it was true, she wasn’t talking to her sister much at that time.”
Sahvrin pulled his phone out and sat at the head of the table and Lazure did the same raking his hand through his gray strands, sighing. “You okay?” Sahvrin asked, eying him.
“Yeah, now that I’m done with that cock-sucking winter shipment. Merci Dieu T-Beaux was a big help with all of it.”
“Good. Him and Juliette not married yet?” he half joked, seeing Nitro live in the group.
“No but I might be hearing distant bells. Or shotguns.”
Sahvrin chuckled. “Hey Nitro.”
“Eveque, com-on sah vah.”
“I’m good.” Hurricane’s light came on. “Hurricane, how’s our deported?”
“Awaiting The Judgment Dice.”
Sahvrin nodded. “I’m headed there later to talk to that father and the one demon worm we captured to see what I can extract.”
Four more of The Twelve’s lights came on. “Better watch that demon worm,” Spar said. “He’s been doing a lot of chanting.”
An old bloodlust returned. “I’ll bring Revelator with me to fix him up.”
“What we here for?” Bullets asked.
“Wanted to personally say we’re moving into Battle Phase so updates will happen real time. Keep your talkies near, I’ll give ‘em as I think you need them. ”
Sahvrin again recounted the day’s events as 8-Bit took notes. “I want updates on every Hatche’s status with preps, starting with Hatch #1.”
Bullets cleared his throat. “Got the Hatchmen to dry land and settled in. Tailenders remain to execute the mandatory steps of the First Phase. The Runners and the Getters are double checking all supplies and ensuring everything is accounted for. I believe they’re waiting on shipments.”
“Got those coming in two days,” Lazure informed. “You can let all the Runners and the Getters know.”
“Hatch #2?”
“Same as Bullets,” Nitro said. “Except for supplies. We get most of ours from Me-Me’s, supply store in the swamp, so we’re all good.”
After he learned much of the same from the other Hatches, he launched into his rescue plan. “I’d like to call a meeting for a vote concerning the spouse codes.”
“Oh boy,” Bullets muttered, sounding eager.
“Trouble in paradise already?” Hurricane asked or maybe hoped.
“No,” Sahvrin said. “But while we’re preparing for a possible bloodbath, it occurred to me that having a wife in the position of right hand in The Twelve—especially during conflict—needs amendments at the least.”
“Asinine, is what it is,” Spar said. “A woman doesn’t belong anywhere near what’s coming.”
Sahvrin’s gut loosened at getting all their agreements.
“So we’ll bring up a vote tomorrow in an official meeting.”
“Isn’t the Bat-tie tomorrow?” Bacon asked.
“Mon Dieu,” Sahvrin muttered. “I’d like to move to vote to amend those as well. And we’ll have the vote tonight.”
“Where at?” Hurricane asked. “Virtual?”
Sahvrin eyed Lazure who shrugged with a nod. “Yes.”
“I’m up for it,” Traps said, “but the Swamp won’t be the same without Bat-ties.”
“I’m not suggesting we remove them, just have some restrictions.”
“The Bat-tie’s are just sport,” Lesion said.
Patches leaned into his camera. “With all due respect, shielding the Belle Eveque from everything doesn’t seem like the best form of protection. I say let her fight. It’ll make her strong.”
“Of all people, my medic would say this,” Sahvrin said.
“Both of those types of amendments would require Mah-Mah’s participation,” Lazure reminded him.
“I realize. So, let her know when we’re done here. I’ll come up with the details to both. On the Bat-tie, I’m just thinking something along the lines of protective gear.”
“Well, they do have penalties for fouls,” Shank said.
“I’m going to be blunt with all of you,” Sahvrin said, going for another angle. “My fiancé is about to fight a woman who hates her. She’s had a couple hours of training from Juliette and Katrina’s had a lifetime.”
“I”ve seen Katrina fight,” Spar muttered. “She’s dirty.”
“And given how she still feels about me,” Sahvrin added to that, “I wouldn’t put anything past her.”
“Yeah, she might try to bite her ti—uh, valuables off,” Bullets said. “Can’t put family jewels at risk.”
“I don’t think women should be allowed to fight physically, period,” Nitro added with a finality.
“Me either,” Sahvrin agreed. “I’ll amend the Bat-ties to suggest a less physical form of contest between the females.”
“Like what?” Bacon wondered, curious.
“I don’t know, I’m open for ideas.”
“Maybe a dance competition,” Shank muttered, already entertained.
“House cleaning competitions. Whoever cleans my house the fastest, wins,” Bullets said, with booming laughter.
“The Bat-ties would take a week you dirty bastard,” Bacon muttered before adding, ”Cooking competitions!”
“Our boy sounds like he’s ready for a competition tonight,” Hurricane said, getting a round of laughter.
”What? I”m always hungry,” he said seriously, getting more laughs.
“I think we definitely need to let them compete in things that they’re familiar with and good at,” Sahvrin said.
“Sewing, cooking, cleaning. Having babies,” Traps added, getting more laughs.
Nitro chuckled, wondering, “First one to twelve kids wins?”
Sahvrin sighed at the endless hilarity and comical ideas flowing non-stop now. Ironing contests, knot tying contests, singing, hunting, on and on. “Put all your ideas down for consideration.”
“Maybe the women could decide this?” Lazure suggested getting a round of grumbled approvals.
“Great,” Sahvrin said, tossing his hands, glad somebody could think up a commonsense plan. “Anything that doesn’t involve violence.”
“Agreed,” Nitro said, along with the rest, for the most part.
“So, considering that this vote doesn’t pass unanimously,” Spar said. “There’s the Gauntlet trials. She would be required to undergo that, correct?”
“Correct,” Sahvrin said, glad to have Spar on his side.
He went on, “And since every Hatch has their own trials, would the Eveque’s wife be required to do all Twelve Trials since he is leader of The Twelve?”
Fucking genius. “Technically, being right hand to leader of The Twelve, she would need some form of test encompassing all Twelve Hatches.”
“Same four categories?” Bullets wondered?
“Yes.”
“The four cats each last a week,” Bacon said. “Are you saying she’d have to take twelve weeks for each? That’d take her four years!”
“The knowledge test can still be a week,” Lesion injected. “She’d just have Twelve Hatches worth of material to test on.”
“Is that doable?” Traps wondered, sounding sure it wasn’t.
Sahvrin disagreed. “I think it is.”
“If she fails the knowledge test, there’s no moving to the next phase,” 8-Bit reminded.
“What about the Gauntlet Dice,” Patches asked.
“Fuck, right,” Bullets said, eager. “How’d that work for a Twelve in one test?”
“She rolls the wrong thing, she’s done for, say-too.” Spar said.
“You’d have to adjust those rules to encompass Twelve Hatches,” Bacon thought.
“I say she gets the same amount of Rolls, same Options.” Hurricane slurped his coffee loudly then gave an orgasmic sigh. “The only test that would be more difficult would be the knowledge test. I’m sure the test can be fashioned to equal a standard Hatch test to make it fair.”
“I’m sure it could,” Sahvrin said, “but she’s testing for a higher position. That requires more. The challenge should fit the job.”
“Maybe the Dice Options could be…more fitting?” Bacon suggested.
Sahvrin resisted an eyeroll. “More fitting for what? A woman or a Belle Eveque?”
He gave a shrug in the camera. “Just trying to be fair,” he muttered, sitting back in his chair.
“So, Dice Options are the same,” 8-Bit muttered, looking at his notebook. “She gets 6 Rolls before each test. There’s enough Options in each Roll to accommodate even the smallest men.”
“So you’re saying she’ll have to capture all the Gauntlet Flags too?” Bullets wondered, doubtful.
Sahvrin affirmed. “The Waterway, the Land, and the Bog Flags.”
“The Bog too?” Patches double checked, not hiding his shock.
“All of it,” Sahvrin repeated. “The Belle Eveque has to capture all the flags.”
“And the Gauntlet Dice the same?” 8-Bit double checked.
Sahvrin nodded even more. “The same. She rolls 1 to 5, she gets an item that slows her down, 6 to 10, something that may not hurt but doesn’t help. 11 to 15, something moderately helpful, 16 to 20, an item that aids. All of it the same.”
“Maybe she should get more Rolls since she’s more challenged?” Lesion suggested.
“That could make it better,” Hurricane said. “Or worse.”
“Yep,” 8-Bit agreed. “Maybe leave that up to her?”
Sahvrin was fine with that. “Maybe,”
“So, basically, you don’t want your Belle Eveque passing the Gauntlet Trials,” Bacon realized, slower than usual.
“I do not. But she will get a fair shot at it.”
Lesion chuckled.
“What?” Sahvrin said, ready to fight now rather than later. “The test will fit the job. Because if the amendment fails, she needs to damn well be able to pass. I won’t be worrying every day if something comes to these swamps she can’t handle.”
“Ohhh, I think you will still worry,” Patches said, getting a full round of agreement.
“Maybe, but I’d worry a lot less.” Sahvrin scanned each face on the screen. “I know many of you may not agree with how I feel.”
“Well, I do,” Spar said.
“Me too,” Nitro said.
Lesion muttered, “Same.”
“It’s just the Gauntlet trials,” Patches cried.
“It’s not just the trials,” Hurricane cried back, “It’s what she gains if she passes it.”
“Right,” he remembered. “No coffee yet. And I’m definitely not okay with a woman in harm’s way.”
The entire Twelve agreed, even Lazure, which allowed him to close the meeting on a sigh of relief. “Well, if we’ve got nothing else to say, I have a phone call to make to Mah-Mah. 8-Bit, I’ll let you know what time our meeting will be this afternoon and you’ll let everybody else know.”
“Got it.”
Sahvrin eyed Lazure when the chat closed. “Go on and say it,” he said. “I feel and see you have a problem with it.”
“Not me,” he said, holding up both hands.
“Mah-Mah?”
He leaned back in his chair and angled his head at him, like he was some work of art he couldn’t quite figure out. “Did you forget who put those rules in place son?”
“The right-hand ones?”
He nodded with raised brows.
“No, I didn’t.”
“But do you know why she put that in place?”
“Does it matter now?”
“Cuz she couldn’t stand not having a say where her baby was concerned, that’s why. But notice she don’t ever go out and fight?”
Sahvrin eyed him. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, she knows her job and her place as a mother and wife, and she protects that with everything she is. Including having a say about her sons after they all grown up.”
“She was a lot older than Beth and already had kids, so I can see her having that wisdom.”
“Why not talk to her? Tell her what you want.”
“Because I’m forbidden to sway her!” he cried. “It’s in the damn code, I’m not allowed, the decision has to be hers. If I could, she’d give me exactly what I want because she lives to please me.”
He pointed sharply with raised brows. “That might be something you’d want to amend.”
“And what if I’m wrong about her doing what I want?”
Lazure’s posture relaxed suddenly with a grin. “You can be sure you will be wrong. Just like you’re wrong to think changing the laws will change that. A law won’t stop her from doing what she thinks she must to protect you. You think pleasing you trumps protect?” He shook his head slowly. “There’s no law in any land that Mah-Mah would not twist or break if it meant protecting the people she loved. Remember that,” he said with a final bounce of his silver brows.
“So you’re saying I’m fucked?” Sahvrin wondered, ready to punch something.
His father laughed, smacking the table before eying him like strange art again, his grin all big. “In every way imaginable.”