Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The scowls of the brothers were not hidden when Draikis and his female counterpart strode back into the compound’s walls.
Draikis had made the case for her care, and it had been provided, but now that she no longer resembled a charred monster, her feminine figure was proving a distracting annoyance to more than a few, Totaxxis, the brotherhood’s top security enforcer notable among them.
“Draikis,” he said as his brother and his guest made their way past him through the large front courtyard.
“Totaxxis,” the priest replied with a respectful nod. “Are you well? You appear somewhat out of sorts.”
Unhappy eyes flicked to the woman in their midst, looking her up and down in a glance before returning to the male before him. “Shouldn’t she be gone by now?”
Draikis flashed a disarming smile, but Ella didn’t think this guy was going to buy it. Not for a second.
“Come, my friend. You know the situation. Ella is our guest, and it is an honor to nurture a wounded citizen back to health. It is written.”
“It’s also written that females are not to be within these walls.”
“We’ve talked about this. There is flexibility to some directives, and this is one of them. Now, if it were written in the ancient texts, that might be another issue altogether. But this? A far more recent addition.”
“Rules are rules. Women are not allowed here.”
Draikis gently placed his hand protectively on Ella’s shoulder. “Totaxxis, I know you are a brother of great honor.”
“I would not have reached my position if not.”
“Precisely. And for that reason, you must also be well aware that the person you speak of is right here beside me, and no matter your personal feelings, it’s unbecoming of you to insult our guest.”
Totaxxis looked as though he was about to say something, then fell silent, thinking better of it.
While he was the muscle within the order, it seemed Draikis was the more powerful when it came to words and logic.
Ella felt a little flutter in her belly.
He’d just used those skills to come to her defense.
No stupid brawling, though he could surely hold his own.
No yelling or shouting. But rather calm, rational de-escalation.
He’d stood up for her in the most appealing way imaginable. Whatever she’d thought of him before, her esteem for him had only increased with this display.
“Come with me, Ella. We should get you prepared. Totaxxis, I’ll see you later, my brother. Perhaps we can discuss this further at your leisure.”
Ella felt the man’s eyes on her back as Draikis led her into the structure across the courtyard, the sensation only ceasing when they were safely inside. Other glances were cast her way, but at least none of these felt nearly so viscerally full of disdain.
“What’s his problem with me?”
Draikis seemed at a rare loss for a moment as he sought the right words. “Totaxxis came to us later in life.”
“So, not some youngster.”
“Exactly. Before joining the order Totaxxis was a trader, and a shrewd businessman at that. He was married. Had a small child.”
Ella’s gut sank. “Oh no. How did they die?”
“What? No, they are alive and well. But his partner was not his Infala mate. They were close, but that bond did not seal their destiny.”
“She left him?”
“With their child, yes. And it was only by a stroke of luck that he got so drunk that he couldn’t follow through on his plans to kill them all.”
“That’s horrible!”
“It is. But to his credit, he realized as much with horror when he sobered up. Rather than become that sort of beast, he came straight to the order and swore his loyalty without a moment’s hesitation, and his devout dedication since then has seen him rise quickly in the ranks.”
“The poor guy. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. He’s still a dick. We all have baggage, but that’s no excuse to take it out on the world.”
“Valid point. Regardless, his consternation is based in rules to which some choose to adhere to the letter.”
“But you said something about the old text versus current rules.”
“The ancient texts are the basis of our entire order. There have been modernizations over the centuries, of course. Adaptations as times change. But the core tenets are still the heart of it all. Some things are the immutable core, while others are additions. And now, speaking of core laws, we must address one of those.”
“Right. The runes,” she said, not exactly thrilled about getting tattooed, but more or less resolved to the idea.
It was what they did, after all, and every single person here had them.
More importantly, if she didn’t, she’d be in the worst sort of trouble with the Dotharian Conglomerate.
Runes or death. There was no other way, and the law was strictly enforced.
Only her burns had prevented her from being found out as an unmarked interloper, and she wasn’t about to let on to that oversight.
And compared to being eaten by Raxxians?
Tattoos were a walk in the park by comparison.
Draikis stepped to the side of the corridor and stopped, gently grasping her by the arms then shoulders, his hands moving to her neck, squeezing the muscles supporting her weary head.
“Hmm. You are tense. Healed, yes, but not quite prepared for the process. It’s my fault. I should have taken us at least part of the way there with a conveyance, but I thought the walk would do you good.”
“It did.”
“You are quite resilient, that’s for sure. But this isn’t about your muscles handling the load. This is about your body being ready for the application of the runes. It’s a very particular process, and you must be fully relaxed for it.”
“So, I guess I should go take a nap or something? I’m not tired, though.”
He grinned. “Nothing like that. You simply need your muscles loosened to ensure proper blood flow when the Skrizzit does his work on you. He is very talented, you know. One of our best. You’re lucky to have him be the one to apply your replacement runes.
And as our guest, and having survived Raxxian captivity, the elders have approved the finest pigments be used. ”
“I-I’m honored. I just hope I deserve it.”
“You most certainly do. Now, let’s get you to your room to prepare.”
She wondered what exactly that would entail but found out soon enough when they arrived at her room.
He closed the door and directed her to a new addition to the space.
It was a long table, but with a roughly person-shaped form indented in its form.
The hole at one end was clearly for a face. It was a massage table of sorts.
“Undress and lay there,” he said, opening a vial of faint-pink oil and placing it in the handy little receptacle jutting from the edge of the table.
Ella did as she was told, shedding her clothes, the ache in her belly flaring up hard again now that she was nude in front of him.
She lay down on the table, happy to find it was actually warm to the touch and far softer than it appeared.
Even so, her erect nipples sent a jolt through her when they pressed down into the material.
The walk had helped ease her sexual frustration, but now, lying naked in front of him, she felt it all surging back to life.
His warm hands sliding oil over her back only increased the sensation.
“Relax,” he said softly. “Let your thoughts flow and your limbs loosen. Give your body to me, Ella, and I will set you right.”
Yes, sir, she nearly said, feeling the heat between her legs growing as his long fingers stroked her body in a sweeping motion, applying gentle but firm pressure from her neck to her ass then sliding outward to her hips, his fingertips digging in harder, forcing the muscles tight from their trek to release their tension.
“Ohhhh,” she gasped as he worked, her body abuzz with myriad delightful sensations, her newly healed skin far more sensitive than it had ever been.
“Good?” he asked with a husky chuckle.
“Yessss. Oh my God, that’s amazing.”
“The oil has a pleasure enhancing quality for some races. Yours appears to be one of them.”
“It’s marvelousssss,” she said with a happy sigh.
“Good. Then relax to my touch and let go.”
Ella moaned as he firmly grabbed her leg and slid his hands from her hip downward, his fingers sliding between her legs just below her hot wetness as he pulled her muscles, stretching and relaxing her thighs, hamstrings, and calves, his thumbs kneading in steady motion as he did until he reached her foot.
“Fuck!” she grunted as he dug his thumbs deeper into the arch, rubbing out the tension of the day’s walk with almost psychic precision. He knew exactly where to rub, and it was glorious.
After a few minutes moving his way back up to her lower back, he switched to the other side, again his hands sliding so close she had to wonder if he could feel the heat of her sex radiating between her legs.
In short order both were feeling incredible, as if she hadn’t been on a long walk at all.
He transitioned to her back once more, then her arms, pulling them, moving them as he wished, the long, sweeping strokes sending tingles to her fingertips.
Firm hands slid under her, cupping her body. “Relax. Let me move you,” he said as he rolled her to her back, her bare breasts taut with the cool air, straining and exposed for him to see.
More oil soon coated his hands, which he slid across her shoulders and clavicle, gently stretching and moving her body.
Ella shuddered as she felt his hot hands glide between her breasts, pressing her firmly to the table as he massaged her chest, elongating the tight muscles and pressing farther down her belly, leaning forward over her until his hands stopped just shy of her pubis.
Ella opened her eyes and felt her mouth water at the sight of his manhood dangling in front of her face, just barely hidden by his loose trousers. She moved on instinct alone, arching her back slightly, the welcome heat and weight of his manhood pressing into her cheek for just a moment.
Draikis’s cock twitched, a sexy as hell pulse before he moved his hips away from her and drew his hands back up her body, grazing her nipples as he rubbed the oil into her chest before slipping his hands up the back of her neck, cradling her head as his fingers rippled along the base of her skull, loosening the last of her tension and making her head spin with dizzying sensation.
She was lost in his touch, the fire in her belly now blazing anew when he stepped back and dried his hands on a small towel.
He took a clean sheet and draped it over her body, affectionately caressing her cheek, though just for a moment.
Her clit throbbed harder, the tender gesture adding more to her arousal than she’d have ever expected.
Draikis seemed oblivious at first, but she saw his eyes flicker with something more, even if only for a moment.
“There. Now you are ready. I’ll be back with the Skrizzit in a little while.
For now, lay still and let your body re-center.
Nap if you wish. We will have your runes applied after you’ve had some time to yourself. ”
With that he turned and headed to the door.
“Thank you, that was amazing,” she called after him, her voice huskier than she intended.
Draikis looked back and actually seemed to blush a tiny bit, his violet cheeks darkening ever so slightly.
“It was my pleasure.”
The door closed behind him, leaving Ella alone in discombobulated silence.
Her stomach was aflutter and her nipples jutting up hard to the sky.
She grabbed her left breast, squeezing firmly, coaxing jolts of electricity shooting to her clit where her other hand had already slid, her fingers moving with desperate pressure as she sought release from the ache she’d suffered all day.
“Yesss,” she groaned. “Fuccck!”
Her pussy began to spasm and contract as the first wave of static buzzing washed through her body, a nerve-jangling rush of heat and tingles spreading from between her legs all the way to her toes, which started to curl hard as her orgasm forced its way through the lingering dull throb of her uncomfortably denied lady bits, the pleasure finally cracking apart the ache inside, replacing it with a blast of climactic fire that brought beads of sweat to her brow.
Ella rubbed faster, the small circles coating her fingers with her own juices as well as the heating oil from her massage. The combination made her nerves set aflame with sensation, ecstasy hitting her like the hot, wet kiss of a feral lover.
“Ohhhh,” she grunted, her abs tensing and legs quaking as her orgasm erupted through her.
Sound went muffled and her pulse raged, every beat of her heart compounding the bliss shooting through her body. Ella nearly convulsed from the intensity, her massaged and loose muscles locking hard before finally releasing, leaving her in a puddle of her own delight.
“Holy shit,” she gasped, breathing hard. “I needed that.”