4. Aurelia
Chapter 4
Istared at the blackness for several long moments, still shaking with pleasure, my brain a stupefied, blissed-out mess. A boneless, sated puddle.
What a fucking ride! Ho-ly balls!
I felt the ghosts of his hands on my skin. His fervent kisses. His large, plunging cock...
I stood and dusted off my hands and knees before pulling up my trousers, looking back in the direction of the work shed. I wanted to try that flower again. It was important to know what exactly had prompted such an incredible journey, and how easy it was to duplicate. There wasn’t time, though. Granny was expecting her delivery and I’d be punished if she didn’t get it, despite it not actually being my job.
I crouched down and felt across the dirt for my lantern, finding it at the side of the path. Reviving it, I waited for the indigo light to glow before stooping to pick up Granny’s bag and continuing on my way.
Wouldn’t it be nice if cocks really did taste like candy.
Huffing out a laugh while shaking my head, I relished in the euphoria from two amazing climaxes. I followed the bend in the path to Granny’s house. Once there, I knocked three times, indicating it was me.
Footsteps sounded on creaking floorboards and then the door swung open, revealing an aged woman with sharp brown eyes and curled, gray hair. A flowing dress covered her plump body, the few extra pounds not at all hindering how fast she could move, especially in wolf form.
“Aurelia, what a surprise.” Her tone was sharp. “Where’s Razorfang?”
“He wasn’t feeling well,” I said easily. “He asked that I bring this here so that he could go lay down.”
Her gaze traveled my face and then swept down my body, coming back up and pausing on my hair for a moment. Her nose flared slightly in distaste.
A rush of anxiety made me wonder what I looked like. I’d envisioned someone clutching it in a fist, yanking it. Hopefully that hadn’t been me doing it, projecting my desire onto a phantom hand. Hmm. I’d need to watch someone else take the journey and then recount their experiences to get a better idea of how it worked.
A strange pang of jealousy pinched my gut, thinking of anyone else ending up with my mind creation, touched in the way he’d touched me, kissed with those expressive lips.
“Are you okay?” she finally asked.
I startled, unable to stop myself from reaching up to smooth my hair.
“I’m not really sure actually,” I said honestly, my laugh shaky. “I think I’ve stumbled upon a new drug, created from the glowing flower I found. I seem to have accidentally administered it to myself.” I put out my hand. “I’m not totally sure how yet. I hadn’t realized I had until I was on my way here. I have a few suspicions but...” I shook my head. “I need to think about this some more. I have too many questions.”
She stepped back, opening the door for me. “Come in, come in. I’ve just baked some of those sticky buns you love so much. I was going to bring them to you tomorrow.”
My stomach rumbled and then my core tightened, remembering his taste. The feel of his cock sliding across my tongue.
“I’m good for the moment,” I said quickly. “I’m tired. You know how I lose my appetite when I get tired.”
“Of course, that’s why I’d planned to take them to you tomorrow. Yes, of course. Here, please, sit down.”
Two rocking chairs sat facing a little hearth, a small table beside each. We lived modestly in this village, with no electricity magically stolen from the parallel human realm, nor running water. We existed as in the old days, tucked away from the rest of the kingdom and safe in obscurity.
She sat in the other rocking chair, offering me a pleasant smile and grasping her hands in her lap. “So, tell me about this new drug that has you looking like a woman freshly and satisfyingly... seen to.”
My face heated and, given the paleness of my cheeks, a result of not seeing the sun as often as I’d like, I was sure my embarrassment showed clearly.
“Ahem...” I cleared my throat. “It is... uh, sexual in nature, this one. Very realistic. Well...” I toggled my hand. “It’s a dream-world style of realism, where wildest dreams come true, but realistic in the hallucination.” I paused for a moment, squinting at the fire in thought. “Actually... maybe not visually realistic, now that I think about it. That might be a problem. When my vision was more thoroughly engaged, it didn’t enhance the image all that much. Maybe it’ll be better in more light. But the feel of it is very realistic, and that’s the main thing, I think. That’s the thing that’ll have people coming back for more.”
Her eyes sparkled in that greedy way they did. She clearly sensed that the product I’d inadvertently devised had the potential to be heavily sought-after.
“There are a few products in the trade that enhance the feel of a lover,” she said. “I wondered if you would come up with one. I doubted, since you have so few lovers, but this—well, this is a revelation, my dear. The effects of the other products without even needing a lover in the first place? Oh my yes, the lonely hearts will love it. We’ll pluck clients right out of the boudoirs’ hands. Very well done, my dear. Very well done.”
I didn’t know what a boudoir was—though I certainly had a guess—but I preened at her praise.
Good girl.
That voice stole my focus for a moment. The sentiment dribbled heat through my core. So dirty. So delicious.
I cleared my throat again, looking at the fire. “Yes, well, don’t pat me on the back yet. I still need to figure out exactly what I took and how. Accidents are only fun if I can figure out how they originated.”
“Of course. Keep me updated. Now, where do we stand with the rest of your supply? We have an entire trading circle of people clamoring for more. We’ve extended into all but the demon kingdom at this point. I’m trying to work in there but their new lord— for some reason, he won’t accept the title of king—does not want any of our influence, whatever that is supposed to mean. His people are very loyal. Well, they have to be, right? He usurped the old king with the dragons’ help and killed all the former king’s loyal subjects. Anyway, I can’t find an in with him. So we’ll wait on that. But otherwise, a great many kingdoms are very receptive to us. The vampires are absolutely smitten with our stardust tonic. Can’t get enough of it. I’ve driven up the price.”
I frowned at her. “The stardust tonic? I thought that only worked on shifters and goblins as a calming agent.”
Granny’s gaze turned sharp, her expression hardening to stone. “Did Raz give you the list of products I need?”
I swung my gaze back to the fire. Granny clearly wasn’t in the mood for questions. She was probably tired from the day’s activities. She tended to lose her patience easily when that was the case. This conversation would have to wait for another day, it seemed. Not that it really mattered. As long as the customers were happy and buying, that was really all that mattered.
“He did, yes,” I answered dutifully. “I can do a few big batches to fulfill that order but I’ll be at my limit. If the orders get any larger, I’ll need help.”
“Is that right?” She steepled her fingers, looking over at me. I could sense her displeasure as I watched the dancing flames. My chest tightened with a thread of worry. I hated when her moods turned sour. It always felt like I was failing her in some way. “Is Raz not satisfactory?”
“He is, it’s just... the requests for product are getting a lot bigger now and I don’t have the—we don’t have the resources to handle it all.”
“I see,” she said primly. “And this wouldn’t have anything to do with his sudden illness?”
I’d become an expert liar with her, hiding all manner of things so that Raz or I didn’t get punished, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to work my way out of this one. One lie would lead to many. He was not sticking to the straight and narrow as much these days, and the story would grow too convoluted for me to keep together. In the end, she’d surely catch me up and the explanation would unravel.
“I’m not sure,” I said in an even tone.
“I see,” she said again. Unbelievably, she didn’t push. “And how about the enhancements you wrote to me about? With that plant you found.”
I barely kept from sighing in relief. I was comfortable talking about the product, at least.
I went over all my new additions and explained how the Moonfire Lily had enhanced those already in our product line.
“You enhanced all that with just that one little flower?” she asked when I’d finished.
“Yes, and I still have petals left over. It’s potent. Incredibly so.”
“I gather. You’ve used it before, though, right? I don’t remember it giving this kind of boost.”
“I used it early on when I was still learning my craft. Suffice to say, I hadn’t been using it in the best possible ways. I still might not be, but I don’t have the time or resources to experiment.”
She tilted her head at me. “There is no denying you’ve come a long way. Can I do anything to help you?”
I clasped my hands in my lap. “Remember that journal you were able to... procure from the dragon court?” Procure was a much better word than steal. “The one written by someone being trained directly by the dragon queen?” She inclined her head. “I’d love something like that. My craft grew exponentially after studying those notes. She’s a genius, the dragon queen. She’s earned her reputation as one of the best.”
“Yes, she has certainly made a name for herself and her kingdom.” She pursed her lips, as though annoyed. “I’ll see what I can do,” she finished tersely.
I knew that tone. Her mood had grown darker. She was definitely tired. Annoying her now risked facing repercussions.
I stood gracefully, hurrying but not being obvious about it.
“Aurelia, before you go.” She stood and crossed the room, before bending in the corner. When she straightened, she shook out a bright red cloak made of velvet. “I purchased this for you.”
Delight surged through me. I couldn’t contain my smile. Granny’s gifts were few and far between, but without any family or friends, they were the only ones I was ever given. Each was as amazing as the next, and this was no exception. The cloak was thick and obviously soft, made of fine material, and nicer than anything I owned. The quality was amazing and the sentiment brought a sheen of tears to my eyes.
“Thank you!” I gushed.
“Now, after hearing about the Moonfire Bloom?—“
“Lily,” I accidentally interrupted. Her lips pressed together in annoyance. “Sorry. Moonfire Lily. That’s what it’s called.” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter.”
She paused for a tense beat and I clasped my hands in front of me with a bowed head.
“Moonfire Lily,” she finally repeated, her smile not reaching her eyes. “I think you will need the extra warmth of this cloak if you are to scour the forest in the dead of night looking for more.”
My smile burned brighter. Even in a darker sort of mood, she always came through for me. “You mean it? I can leave the paths?”
“You’ll be accompanied, of course.” She bent her head, her gaze severe. “We wouldn’t want you getting lost again.”
One fucking time . . .
“But it seems that flower is a boon to your setup,” she said. “We’ll all benefit if you obtain more. Tell me, why are we not growing it ourselves?”
“I tried with the most recent flower. To replant it, I mean. I think I damaged it too much when I uprooted it, though. I gave the seeds to Raz to plant but I’m not sure if he’s had any luck. And honestly, I don’t really know how seed harvesting works. I might’ve done it wrong.”
“Hmm, yes.” Granny reached around me to drape the cloak on my shoulders. The silk lining on the underside rubbed delicately against my skin and the weight alone told me how much it was worth. Gratitude and love fizzed up through my middle. “Raz is supposed to be the master gardener, is he not? Directing the village on how to garden what you need?”
I paused in drawing the cloak in tighter, my beaming smile freezing. “He is,” I drew out, knowing where this was heading. “But before the town locked down into producing the current product, he was a wood worker. He doesn’t have the natural inclination for gardening. He’s working on it, though. He and I are working on all of this. Together. A team effort.”
“But why didn’t he step in and help harvest the seeds? That falls under his duties, natural inclination or not.”
I searched my brain for a good reason because the actual reasons wouldn’t go over well. Truth was, he hated looking in books for answers; he called it cheating. I suspected that was because he didn’t read very well. He had to rely on what he could figure out, and his talents weren’t in plant investigative analysis. That led to stress, and that ultimately led to sampling way more product than he should—often during the workday, and often at the expense of helping me.
“It’s an unfamiliar plant,” I said with a confident tone, “unlike many he’s used to dealing with. I figured since I had a book that offered some advice, I’d just follow those directions while he was seeing to the garden at large. He probably could’ve. It was my fault, really. It’s okay, I can definitely find more plants, I know I can. Then I’ll just pick the petals I need rather than the whole flower. They last for a long time off the plant, for some reason. I can keep going back for more. It’ll be better this way. More natural.”
She tsked softly. “Trying to take the fall for the malfeasance of others, Aurelia? It’s commendable, but beneath you. It holds you back, which in turn holds me back. Holds us all back. The wellbeing of the people in this village depends on the quality and quantity of your supply. I cannot keep the children in their expensive boots, or with their many learning devices, or keep roofs over their heads without something to sell at market, now can I?”
“No, ma’am,” I said dutifully, my stomach twisting at the mention of the children.
“No. And so you’ll need to start taking these people in hand. I can’t be here all the time.”
Uncomfortable tingles washed over me. I didn’t want to step into her job. It made me queasy thinking about upholding the rules and doling out punishments for those who broke them. I’d had a history of bearing the brunt of violence, of watching it destroy everything I knew—I couldn’t stomach the idea of inflicting that pain on anyone else, even if it was just temporary.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said anyway, hoping it didn’t come to that.
She squeezed my upper arm. “Good girl. Now, why don’t you run along and get some rest, okay? You’ve earned it.”
“Yes, Granny.”
I stepped outside, welcoming the cool breeze, and willed the voice from earlier to wash away her sentiments.
Good girl.
But it didn’t come. Instead, my stomach continued to pinch painfully, thinking about what she’d said. Thinking about how this might affect Raz. He wasn’t the nicest man to me, but I didn’t want any blame for his punishments. I didn’t want anything I said to make things worse for him. I certainly didn’t want to dole out punishments for anyone else.
Since Granny had saved my life and admitted me here, all I’d wanted was to live in the shadows. I’d wanted a safe, if not peaceful life, a place for quiet reflection and to remember my mom. That was it. To obtain that, I’d ensured I had enough value that I couldn’t be cast out. But this?
With slight tremors, I made my way back along the path and through the village to my little cottage.
Many of the people in the village feared Granny. They were scared of her punishments, scared of her watch dog, Alexander. I understood why Granny didn’t care—sometimes fear was the only way to motivate people. But she didn’t live amongst them. She wasn’t even here half the time. My situation was different. These people weren’t my friends, many weren’t even cordial, but they weren’t outright enemies, either. Some even tolerated me these days, occasionally smiling in hello when I got my food rations. If I stepped into her shoes, I’d burn all that away. They’d hate me, one and all, obeying me when I had her watchdogs on hand and possibly disposing of me when I didn’t. My life would once again become dangerous and there would be no escape. I didn’t want that. Couldn’t handle it.
There had to be another way. As long as Granny was getting the goods, she wouldn’t press too hard about the details. If the orders got bigger, I’d just need to work harder. Faster, somehow.
My mind turning, I tucked myself into my cottage on the east side of the village and built a fire in the hearth. That done, I settled down onto a chair and watched the flames as I ate.
Run. Leave this place.
I blinked rapidly as his words echoed in my mind. The stranger had sounded urgent. Genuine.
Not the stranger... me. I’d conjured up those words.
It’s not safe for you here. Get out now, tonight. Don’t look back. Find your way to another village and disappear. This is the only warning you’ll get.
It was almost like I’d known what Granny would want of me. Like I was warning myself that things were starting to turn in this village. But where could I possibly go? No one wanted a person like me around, a lesson learned through bloodshed in youth. Even if I did want to leave, how would I get out? The territory was fortified. The punishment for leaving without an escort, without permission, was extreme.
My breath came fast, my chest tight.
It suddenly felt like I was living in a cage.
But that was silly. Granny did all this to protect me. To keep her competitors from getting to me and kidnapping or killing me. From destroying the village. These safety systems were in place to safeguard our homes. I knew they were necessary. She’d spent many nights, especially over the last three years, going over why.
I’d need to figure this out. I could handle more workload. I could. I could draw less, write less, and work more. It would be fine. We’d figure this out.
As I watched the flame, though, I couldn’t help the little voice in the back of my brain wondering what would happen if I didn’t heed the warning.