23. Chapter Twenty Three Baer
Chapter Twenty Three: Baer
“Well, shit, that doesn't sound good,” Rhowyn said as she walked back to the couch and flopped down like she had before. I couldn't help the small smile even though I knew none of this was good. She needed full access to her magic, and she had to get rid of this glamor. Although I did find myself becoming fond of it, I was also eager to see what she really looked like. I was positive that no matter what, I would find her attractive, with the same need to feel her warm pussy pulsing around me.
Last night had been extremely hard, literally, sleeping in the bed next to her and not taking things further. After having her room and space violated, the last thing she needed was to have me trying to make a move, even if it was all I’d been able to think about with her around.
“It's most definitely not a good thing,” Callum replied, no emotion present, but still eliciting a response of a raised eyebrow and glare from Rhowyn.
“On the bright side, at least Rhowyn was able to unlock some of her magic. She should be able to start training with it now. Plus, with all of us here, we can complete the consort bonds, which should also help during the trials,” I said, always trying to find the positive. Dwelling on negatives never got anyone anywhere.
“It still won't be enough,” Lennox said as we all joined Rhowyn again. Lennox was apparently my opposite, preferring the negative. He moved to pour a drink for himself, not offering any to anyone else. “These other Chosen have grown up with their own magics and should only have to learn that of their Consorts’. How can Rhowyn even think she has a chance?” He addressed us as if she wasn't right there, and I saw the moment his callous attitude pissed her off.
She shot up from reclining on the couch next to me, her eyes spitting fire, almost as if that was her element. “First of all, asshole, I don't think I can win, which is good because I still don't want to be queen. All I want to do is to survive through this whole mess until I can go back to Earth.
“Second, who says I need magic at all to kick their asses? I can hold my own. Always have and always will. So, if you want to know the fastest way to being wrong, underestimate me. I dare you,” she spit out with a huff of air, holding Lennox's somewhat shocked gaze.
I had to hold back a laugh at his expression. I guess he'd never had anyone other than his mother speak to him like that. He regained his composure quickly. “You speak as if you could defeat us in battle, which I sincerely doubt.” He smirked at her while taking a drink from his glass.
Her eyes shifted then, sparkling with an expression that said she had a secret and was confident in the facts. She smiled, her lips lifting on one side only. “Oh, I can definitely take care of myself in hand-to-hand combat.”
Lennox gazed disbelievingly at her, not responding. She spoke up again. “If you're so confident in your abilities, let's make a friendly wager.” Her tone meant to tease and goad him into taking the bet.
Apparently forgetting that we’d found her at a combat gym, or not caring, he smirked at her, overly confident. “I'll take that bet. What'll we wager?”
“Winner's choice. A favor to be owed by the loser?” she asked him.
“Are you sure that's what you want?” he asked, moving to stand in front of her.
“Absolutely. Where and when?” she said, standing on her own so he wouldn't tower over her.
I grinned openly at their antics, Arryn watching them impassively, and Callum with a scowl. Callum must be a little old fashioned, but he'd soon learn that Rhowyn wouldn't take orders from anyone, and that's one of the things I loved most about her.
“Tomorrow morning in the training room. After getting beat in combat, we can also teach you how to access your magic.”
“Sounds perfect, except the only ass kicking will be done by me. I just hope I don't embarrass you too badly when it's all said and done.” She goaded him even more but was smiling. Apparently, the threat of combat was exciting for her. I'd just add it to the ever-growing list of things that turned me on about her.
I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back into my lap, not thinking as I said, “Easy there, Killer! Save some of that feisty for the other Chosen in the trials.”
She laughed out loud, caught off guard. Arryn smiled too, Lennox still smirked cockily, but Callum remained stoic through it all. That man was a hard one to read. I didn't envy Rhowyn the task of having to deal with him.
“Speaking of trials,” Arryn spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention. “Now that we've met all the Chosen and their Consorts, I'm confident that between us, we should be able to put together a list of their magics and temperaments that we can use to help Rhowyn to be more prepared. We should also work out a rotation to train her in our magic and in weaponry. Some history and decorum would also be useful for her in preparation.
“We’ll continue to watch her room, and it's probably wise not to allow her to go anywhere alone in case she's ambushed again. I'm thinking we can start now on developing this list while she relaxes. Baer, you can stay with her until dinner. I'm pretty sure that between the three of us, we can put together everything she’ll need.
“Anybody have any questions or input?” he asked, taking charge of our motley group just like he did his elite unit in the Queen's Army.
I was pretty easy to please, always rolling with the punches, so I didn't have anything to add from my end.
“If it means I can have some time to myself, I may try to do some training while y'all work on that list. I'm really hoping I can trust y'all have my best interests at heart, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be the type to sit back and let men dictate my life, so don't get used to it. Besides, that whole list thing sounds so boring, even if I can see how useful it might be. I'd rather be anywhere else,” Rhowyn said, standing.
We all chuckled softly, and Arryn nodded. “That sounds like a great idea,” he told her, while I stood up to follow her.
Once we’d gotten a little ways away, I asked, “Did you have a specific idea of training in mind?”
“Well, I'd love to find a heavy bag, something I could hit and kick. It's been forever since I've gone this long without training, and it's driving me bonkers,” she said, glancing up at me as we headed to her room.
She opened the door, pausing as I spoke. “Get changed. I think I have just the place for you to train.”
“Give me five minutes, and I'll be ready.” She smiled at me before entering her room and closing the door behind her.
I stood there, pushing my hands into my pockets as I waited for her, my gaze skipping over the guys sitting in chairs now as Arryn wrote down their list. I could hear her rustling around in the room behind me as she changed, and I couldn't help the turn my thoughts took.
I imagined her standing before me, stripping off her clothes to reveal her breasts and pussy to me. I wondered if her breasts were perky without the bra and if her nipples would be a pale pink or a dusky rose. Not that it would matter all that much, but I couldn't stop wondering about how she'd taste or what she'd feel like underneath me. I desperately wanted to cup her breasts in one hand and her pussy in the other, to play with her until I figured out what exactly got her going. I needed to hear the noises she emitted as I explored her body slowly before plunging myself deep inside her, letting her milk my cock until we both couldn't stand it any longer.
Fuck! I shifted on my feet at the thought and tried to discreetly readjust myself, wiggling my legs inside my pants, careful not to brush my cock. Any touch could set me off, and that would be embarrassing. I wasn't some young and inexperienced fae. I'd had plenty of women fae and humans alike although nothing had ever been too serious, and none had ever made me feel as attracted as Rhowyn did.
That part was all new to me. I wasn't used to constants or consistency. Living the life of an explorer kept me busy, and the details ever-changing. It was how I liked things, and was all I really knew. This whole consort thing would test my ability to settle down. Especially if we won the trials and Rhowyn became queen. I'd be expected to stay in one place for the rest of my long life or until the new queen and consorts took our place.
For some reason though, I wasn't terrified at the prospect. If anything, I knew Rhowyn would be a much better queen than the one we had now. Although, that wasn't really saying much since our current queen was more of a terrifying tyrant. My gut was telling me that even if we managed to win the trials, the battle for the crown would only just be beginning. That wasn't anything I wanted myself or Rhowyn to be a part of since it would most likely result in our deaths.
However, we had to train her well enough to survive the trials since those could also be just as deadly. No one ever knew what the trials would be since they were always different. We would just have to train and prepare her as best we could and then hope that nothing bad happened along the way.
The door behind me opened, and I stumbled backward, almost falling down, completely caught off guard. I laughed after I righted myself and saved my dignity. I hadn't been paying attention and didn't hear her approach. I should have been more alert instead of lost in my own thoughts. What if she'd been attacked or hurt, and I hadn't heard it. I frowned slightly until I caught sight of her. She was wearing a sleeveless tank top, skintight leggings, and a pair of flip flops. The sleeves were loose enough I could catch glimpses of her turquoise bra underneath that set off her darker skin. Her hair was still in the long braid from before, but some hair had escaped and was now framing her face, brushing against her neck.
I resisted my need to readjust my now hardening cock again, instead asking, “Are you ready?”
She grinned broadly, almost bouncing with energy and excitement. “I'm always ready to kick ass.”
I laughed at her and led the way out of our suite and to a smaller training room that would hopefully be empty. On our way, she pulled out her cell phone and started tapping on it. “I'm sure no one's told you yet that electronics drain our magic, which is why we have none here and avoid Earth for the most part,” I told her, as she continued messing with her phone.
“Really?” She glanced at me with surprise. “I've never had any problems before.”
“Probably because your magic was locked away. Our magic doesn't bother technology, but it bothers and drains our magic with prolonged exposure.”
“That's interesting. I guess I'm going to have to find a balance. I'm a huge music person, especially when training. Besides, my phone has all my pictures and stuff on it. I was hoping to find somewhere to charge it soon, but I guess that's out of the question.” She frowned at that, her disappointment evident.
“Here,” I said, opening the door to the training room for her. I was hoping the magic of the castle would provide her with a punching bag and equipment, figuring this would be the most likely place.
Sure enough, I was right. It had in the form of a large bag that hung from the ceiling. At the back of the room were some hand wraps and gloves. “Awesome! I almost thought I wouldn't find what I needed. Everything's so different here,” she said as she walked to the equipment and started wrapping her hands.
“That's the thing, though. The castle will always provide for its residents, especially the Queen and Chosen since you all have so close of a connection to the land and Avalonia,” I replied, taking up a spot along the wall by the door.
“It's still hard to wrap my head around, ya know? I've spent my whole life on Earth, and all of this feels like make believe. Or that I'm going crazy, which is more likely.”
She finished with her hands and pulled out her phone again, a song starting to play softly from its speakers. Without her having to ask, I whispered a spell and cast my air magic to amplify the music for her. Her gaze jerked to mine. “Did you do that?”
I nodded at her, smiling. “Will I be able to do that too?” she asked.
“Eventually you should be able to.”
“Okay, now that's pretty cool.” She grinned widely. “Now, shut up so I can focus,” she teased me.
I pantomimed buttoning my lips shut and grinned at her, letting her lose herself for a while. And she did, working in and out, moving and ducking around the bag, all while throwing punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. I barely held back my laugh as I realized that Lennox was going to get his ass handed to him tomorrow morning and he had no idea.
I watched her work until her top was soaked in sweat, and it ran down her flushed cheeks, wishing I could follow the trail of sweat as it rolled down her body. She was glowing as she worked, and I was mesmerized by her movements, which were graceful and fluid, like a dance.
Finally, she stopped, huffing in and out as she tried to catch her breath. It took everything I had to keep my feet planted and not walk over to her, kiss her, and lower her to the mats so we could both experience a more pleasurable workout. She was stunning, smiling with pride and happiness after testing the limits of her body and will.
She was a rare woman indeed, and I was thankful that I was one of her consorts. That I'd be able to help her along her journey. Whether she became queen or not didn't matter to me. I just wanted her to be happy in the way I saw right now on her face.
I watched her walk over to me, a towel in her hand to dry herself off some. Once in front of me, I waved my hands to channel a gust of air, drying her quickly with my air magic. Her smile grew, reaching from one ear to the other when she realized what I'd done.
“Okay, now that I'm seeing more of this magic in action, I can't wait until I can use it myself,” she murmured, but then some of the light faded from her joy, something obviously weighing on her mind.
I reached out, tucking some loose strands of hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear, and holding her gaze as I asked, “What is it? What’s managed to steal some of that light from you?”
She swallowed, hesitating for a moment before finally admitting, “What if I'm never able to use it as easily as y'all do?”
Her gaze drifted down at that, her previous confidence having faded with her admission and allowing me a glimpse of the fragile woman underneath. I had a feeling that she trusted very few people with this more vulnerable side, and I felt a pressing need to protect her, to ensure I treated this moment with the seriousness it deserved. Not the jokes and humor I was more comfortable with.
I lifted her chin with my fingers and held them there, waiting for her to lift her honey eyes to mine. When they finally did, I spoke. “I know it feels overwhelming right now. I know you’re struggling with your new reality and aren't quite sure where or how you fit. Yet. But Rhowyn, I can feel your magic, even now, and I promise it's there. And it's strong, just like the woman standing before me that I'm coming to know.”
I paused, my eyes running along her face, taking in her olive skin, almond shaped eyes, upturned nose, flushed cheeks, and a set of full, soft lips. I felt the desire to kiss her, but I needed to finish what I had to say first. “I may not have known you long, but I've already seen so much fire and strength, a woman who refuses to quit or complain even when hurt, and I know you're willing to do whatever it takes to ensure you succeed so you can return to your loved ones. I see a beautiful soul, both gentle and destructive when necessary, who has seen too much hurt and pain, making you wise beyond your years. And yet, you haven't stopped once. You haven't given up this whole time despite everything you've faced so far.
“So, I can say with confidence now, that even if you can't use or access your magic today or tomorrow, you will be able to use it eventually, and I hope I'm there to see you in your glory.
“So, have faith in yourself, Rhowyn, because I do and so do the others, even if some of them aren't ready yet to admit to themselves what you mean to all of us.” I stroked a finger along her cheek, still holding her gaze as her eyes watered at my words.
She swallowed again and inhaled deeply. Her gaze found my lips, and her body swayed toward mine. I reached out with my other hand, gently placing it on the swell of her hip, my own eyes dropping to her lips. I leaned in slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away should she want to. But she didn't.
So, I did what any red-blooded man, human or fae, would do. I kissed her. Her lips were just as soft and pliant as I had imagined. As I slid my tongue along the seam of her mouth, she opened for me, her hands going to my chest. My tongue tangled with hers as she gripped my shirt, and my hand on her hip tightened almost to the point of leaving a bruise, but I restrained myself. Not wanting to rush things too quickly, no matter how much I wanted to take things further, I pulled back slowly.
My whole world had just changed, and there was no going back for me. She was all I wanted and all I'd ever need. I would follow her anywhere if it meant I had any chance to have her in any way.
Her eyes were closed, and I took this moment to study her further. She breathed just as heavily as she had after her training, and it was because of me. I took a moment to enjoy the pride at that thought, at having her pressed against me still, her hands splayed on my chest. I didn't dare move, not wanting to ruin the moment, but life had other ideas. The door swung open, and Rhowyn jumped away from me suddenly, as if we were doing something forbidden.
I smiled at that thought, knowing this was just the first of many kisses we'd share and that, eventually, she'd need to become okay with sharing her affections even in front of the others. But I'd cross that bridge when I got there. For now, I said, “Come on, Killer, let's go get you fed. I'm sure the guys have finished their lists and plans by now and are eager to share their thoughts.”
“Ugh! Fair warning, I suck at school and will be a terrible student during their lessons. I never was able to sit and learn for hours. I have no reason to think now would be any different.” She huffed out a breath, dragging her feet down the hall.
I laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “I'm sure this will be different, and if not, at least it will be entertaining to watch you guys aggravate each other.”
She laughed and punched my ribs, unsuccessful at dislodging my hold on her. “Who says that they and I will be the only ones aggravated? I can promise now that you will suffer as well, one way or another.” She winked, letting me know she was still teasing me.
“Oh, I promise that nothing you could ever do to me would ever be annoying to me,” I replied.
She barked an unbelieving laugh. “Challenge accepted.” And for once, I doubted my previous words.