Chapter 37
Bressen
Morland was finally dead. And this time I was certain of it.
Mostly, almost fully certain.
Part of me would always wonder if he’d managed to escape yet again, and I was sure Talyn and Samhail felt the same.
Cyra had assured me that, according to whatever power she now had through the Nemesis, Morland was well and truly gone, but it would take me a while to believe it.
I’d spent the rest of the day checking the minds of every servant and guard in the Citadel, just to be sure, but I found no trace of my old enemy.
Jasper and Aidan – the newly restored Aidan – spent the rest of the day in their own wing, and I imagined they had a lot to talk about, so I didn’t disturb them.
Talyn came to see me in the afternoon and asked if she could leave or if I planned to send her to Revenmyer.
I was surprised by her question, given the obvious connection between her and Samhail, but I told her she was free to go if she wanted.
Part of me balked at the idea of letting a woman as dangerous as her just walk out the door, for multiple reasons, but I decided she’d earned her freedom.
Her methods had perhaps left something to be desired, but she was ultimately the reason we’d gotten Aidan back as quickly as we had, so I was grateful enough to overlook some of her more questionable decisions.
I tried once more to get her to accept my offer of employment, but she refused, saying only that she couldn’t stay.
Something urged me to tell Samhail of her plans to leave, since I was almost certain she hadn’t mentioned them to him, but I was caught up in Citadel business all day, and it slipped my mind until later.
When Talyn appeared at dinner, I wondered if she’d changed her mind about leaving, so I resolved to stay out of it and let her and Samhail figure things out themselves.
Talyn was at breakfast the next morning as well, and – while she and Samhail were reserved around each other – I dared to hope that maybe he’d talked her into staying.
I’d seen little of Cyra the previous day after she’d pulled Morland out of Aidan, and she was already asleep by the time I dragged myself to bed that night, so I’d settled for curling myself around her before passing out.
I took her the next morning as soon as we woke, though.
I settled myself in the cradle of her thighs and fucked her fast, both of us just needing a quick release before I was once again called away by my duties as lord.
I promised her before I left to meet with Aidan that I’d make it up to her tonight, though. I had something…special in mind.
Bressen
Unlike the other pleasure houses in Solandis that sat on side streets or had hidden entrances that allowed their clientele to come and go discretely, The Sword and Sheath sat on the main thoroughfare with a large sign announcing its presence to passersby.
The name and location were strategic. Many a soldier or mercenary had entered the building over the years intending to buy weaponry or have theirs repaired, only to be presented with a different kind of merchandise and service.
I already had my obfuscation glamour up when Cyra portaled us into a back room of the building that evening.
The pleasure house was a place I’d come occasionally – no pun intended – before I met Cyra.
I was usually with Samhail when the two of us didn’t want to bother with the dance of finding partners for the night we didn’t need to pay.
While Samhail and I were both attractive, or so plenty of women had told us, finding willing companions to warm our beds hadn’t always been easy. At almost seven feet tall, Samhail towered over most women, and his powerful body could be intimidating.
And that was before women saw what was in his pants.
I’d had a different problem. My reputation as the Nemesis Incarnate often frightened women who were wary I’d melt their brains or hold their minds captive while I did depraved things to them.
This was more of a problem in Callanus where political machinations and the rumor mill churned together outlandish tales of my supposed atrocities.
It was less of an issue in Solandis where my people saw me more as a stern but fair ruler, and certainly not a cruel one.
It had been years since Samhail and I last visited The Sword and Sheath, and things had changed a bit.
The furniture in the large parlor had been replaced by newer couches and chaises that were upholstered in rich colors of velvet or heavy brocade.
Sheer curtains hung at intervals around the room and could be pulled closed to grant a degree of privacy as patrons sampled the house’s offerings before making a final decision on who to take into a private room.
Perfume hung heavy in the air, likely mixed with the essence of barba root to increase desire.
In general, the place felt more refined than before. It had always been one of the more upscale pleasure houses in Solandis, but the owner had taken it a step further since my last visit.
I took Cyra’s hand and led her through the parlor toward an empty couch in the corner of the room.
Her hand felt so small and soft, and I savored the feel of her fingers closed around mine.
I didn’t always believe it was real that she belonged to me, and it was simple things like this that helped make it real.
I feared I’d wake up one day and discover it was all a dream, that she was only a figment of my imagination implanted by a mind wraith more powerful than me, a fear that was more salient since Praya had managed to alter my memories.
I’d always been careful not to abuse my mind abilities.
I had the power to alter people’s reality, and I was cognizant of the responsibility that came with such power.
It was one of the things, I hoped, that set me apart from Morland, who’d had no problem playing with people’s realities when he’d been a mind wraith.
I used my mind power now to keep anyone from bumping into us as people suddenly got the urge to step out of our way as we passed.
Seconds later, I sunk onto a couch in the corner and pulled Cyra down so she was tucked up against my side.
I draped my arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as we settled in to watch what was going on.
Cyra nestled into me, and I willed my cock to relax for the moment. The barba root was already arousing me. Or perhaps it was just the feel of Cyra’s soft body against mine, which – truth be told – was plenty to stir my lust.
As before, I didn’t want to rush things tonight. The last few weeks had been difficult, and I was looking forward to spending some time with my wife, just holding her, appreciating her. We both needed this.
We were also celebrating our small victory over Morland.
I tried not to take delight in the idea of someone’s demise, but I couldn’t help it with Morland. I was too grateful to finally have him gone.
“Have you ever been to a pleasure house before?” I asked Cyra.
“No. The town over from Fernweh had a small brothel, but I never went inside,” she said. “I suspect Brix could tell you about it, though.”
I chuckled. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Cyra’s younger brother had made a few trips to the place. I couldn’t picture her older brother Jaylan going, but Brix was far less straightlaced than the eldest Fernweh sibling.
“How are your brothers anyway?” I asked. Jaylan and Brix had returned to Fernweh a little while ago, and I hoped the fact I hadn’t heard anything since then was a good sign.
She shrugged. “Settling back in. So far no one has bothered them.”
Cyra was still upset they’d left, and I sensed it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about, so I let it drop.
“What do you think of the place so far?” I asked as I trailed my finger lightly up her arm. I smiled to feel the gooseflesh rise at the touch.
“Somehow it’s both something I never could’ve imagined while also being exactly what I thought it would be.”
I raised my brows. “Is that good?”
“It’s fascinating.”
“Fascinating? Not…arousing?”
“That too,” she said. She rested a hand lightly on my leg, and I went rock hard.
So much for keeping myself under control. I shifted on the couch to ease the pressure in my pants as Cyra stroked her thumb against my thigh.
“Who are you watching?” I asked, curious as to which couples or groups had drawn her attention. I wanted to know as much as I could about what aroused her.
She was quiet a moment.
“Cyra?”
“I…I’m watching the two men across from us,” she admitted.
I looked where she indicated and saw one man sitting on a couch while another knelt before him.
The kneeling man’s head bobbed up and down over the groin of the man on the couch as his head lolled back in pleasure.
The man on the couch threaded his fingers through the other’s hair and began to gently thrust up into the man’s mouth.
“What do you like about that?” I asked her, curious.
She shifted against me.
“I’m not sure,” she said. “As you’ve noticed, I like the male body. I supposed that extends to seeing two men together, enjoying each other.”
I nodded.
“Did you and Samhail ever…” She trailed off.
I smiled. “No. Samhail and I don’t mind being together with women, but I don’t think either of us ever had a desire to touch the other.
At least I didn’t. I can appreciate Samhail’s body to a degree – I’ll even admit I’m impressed by it – but I was never attracted to him, and I think he feels much the same. ”
“So you’d never…”
I huffed a small laugh. “I don’t think so. Sorry to disappoint you.”
She smiled. “That is disappointing, but we’re all aroused by different things.” She looked up at me. “So who are you watching?”