The kiss ended before I was ready for it to, and Tiff cast a sheepish smile at the ground as her cheeks darkened with a blush.
She pulled away from me and awkwardly pushed herself to her feet, and she avoided my eyes for a moment as she stared around the gore-covered cavern.
“What a mess,” she muttered. “You really know how to make a mark, don’t you?”
The giant corpse of the combined mutated monsters filled the majority of the space, but there were still chunks and limbs scattered around the edges as well. Yellowish ooze coated the floor, but there were enough clear spots for us to hop over to the stairwell without getting any of the gore on our boots.
“Do you think there’s anything down here?” I asked as I looked around the cavern thoroughly for the first time. “If this was a wizard hiding spot, there could be something valuable hidden in here.”
“Doesn’t hurt to check.” Tiff shrugged. “I’ll take the left if you take the right.”
“Deal.” I grinned and headed toward the wall on the right side of the room.
I carefully stepped over the mess I’d created, but once I was against the wall, I looked for crevices or nooks that could be used as hiding spots. I could see Tiff taking the route along the other side of the cavern, and our paths met at the back of the cave. The wall was smooth and solid, but there was the faint outline of a doorway carved into the stone.
Tiff and I exchanged a knowing glance before we turned our gaze back to the stone, and we analyzed the crevice outline closely.
There weren’t any handles, levers, or switches to trigger the door’s apparatus, but I knew without a doubt that something lay on the other side of the wall.
We just had to get to it.
“Do you know any spells that could help?” Tiff asked. “Maybe we should try ‘open sesame’ or ‘abracadabra.’”
“Maybe.” I smirked. “But this isn’t Aladdin.”
“Who?” Tiff tilted her head to the side, and I realized the movie I’d referenced hadn’t been released yet when she had been on Earth.
“Never mind,” I chuckled. “But I’ll try.”
I stepped back and cracked my knuckles as I considered what spells I knew that could possibly trigger the door, and I decided to use my vines in an attempt to pry it open from the cracks. The green tendrils pushed into the crevice outline inch by inch, and I could sense the pressure against the vines building as they crept into the opening in the stone.
The outline began to crack along the edges as the plants pushed through the stone, but the door still didn’t open. Then I remembered how I’d managed to pull a chunk of the wall free with my earth magic, so I summoned all my strength before I began to pull on the section of the wall in front of me.
The stone creaked and groaned as it pulled free from the wall, and I sent the slab flying to the side before Tiff and I stepped forward to gaze into the opening. There was just a small alcove carved into the rock at the back of the cavern, but it contained a wooden chest with a bronze lock keeping the lid held in place.
“Ooh, treasure.” Tiff’s emerald eyes glinted with excitement. “I wonder what’s inside.”
“Let’s find out,” I suggested. “We just need to break the lock.”
“I can pick it,” Tiff announced, and she pushed me out of her way as she squatted down in front of the chest.
The Goddess of Death pulled a handful of thin pieces of metal out of a pouch on her belt, and she slid the sticks into the lock’s opening. I could hear the clicking and grinding of the gears and mechanisms inside, and a moment later, the latch snapped open. Tiff flashed me a triumphant smile before she removed the lock and pushed open the lid of the chest.
Inside was a mound of glittering gold coins with a few gemstones poking out, but my gaze quickly landed on what appeared to be the hilt of a sword. The pommel was ornately decorated with gold and silver filigree in the shape of twirling snakes, and the leather-wrapped handle appeared to be well worn with use. I grasped the hilt and pulled the blade free, and I discovered a thin-bladed rapier.
“Cool!” Tiff got closer to me as she swept her eyes over the weapon. “I’ve seen swords like these before. They always looked like they were fun.”
I pressed my pointer finger against the steel to check the stats, and the holographic text popped up in the air in front of me.
Durability - 84%
Weight - 1.9lbs
Quality - Epic
Magical Aspect - Poison
Magical Ability - Scorpion Sting
“What are you looking at?” Tiff asked with a curious tilt of her head, and her eyes flicked back and forth to the space occupied by the holographic text and my face. “You’re zoning out like you see something I don’t.”
“Well, you could say that.” I flashed her a quick glance, but I decided there was no harm in telling her a little bit more after all we’d accomplished together. “I can see the stats of weapons, armor, and magical artifacts.”
“What do you mean?” Tiff frowned. “Like it gives you a list of details about the item?”
“Yeah, durability and condition, that sort of thing.” I shrugged.
“It’s no big deal.”
“I guess we all have our tricks and abilities,” Tiff mused in a thoughtful tone. “I used to think I was the only one…”
“What can you do?” I arched an eyebrow at the goddess.
“I thought I was hallucinating at first,” Tiff admitted. “I saw these bars above everything that showed how much life or health it had left. Even you, but your health bar is glowing golden like the sun, and it’s too bright for me to look at for long.”
“Whoa.” I grinned. “That’s really cool. That will certainly come in handy.”
“No one else has a health bar as strong as yours,” Tiff added.
“It’s one of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to you. I had to figure out what made you so special.”
“Who knows.” My grin widened. “But I think you should keep the rapier. It suits you. I can have my blacksmith clean and fix it up for you.”
“Thanks.” Tiff accepted the weapon with a pleased expression, and she twirled it around in her grasp experimentally. “It feels right.”
“Good.” I closed the chest full of gold and gems and dusted off my hands. “We should get out of here. Who knows whether or not Plague is going to show up to make sure the job is finished.”
“He won’t,” Tiff assured me in a confident tone. “He keeps his distance from the dirty work.”
“Don’t forget your side of our deal,” I reminded her. “You still need to tell me everything you know about Plague and his forces.”
“A deal is a deal.” Tiff nodded. “Once we’re back in your homebase, I will tell you everything I know. I promise.”
I hauled the chest of gold up by the handles, and I followed the Goddess of Death out of the cavern. We made our way through the tunnels to the entrance, but it was difficult to get through the narrow opening to the cave network with the chest in my hands, so Tiff and I each took a handle before we sidled through sideways.
Once we were back in the ravine, I started to take apart our campsite, and Tiff began to saddle the horses. I sent out a call to Nameless, and a few moments later, the silvery dragon flapped through the air above us. After everything was packed up, I explained my fast travel abilities as succinctly as I could. Then I had Tiff take the horses’ reins in one hand while she laid the other on my shoulder, and Nameless rubbed his head against my leg while I performed the fast travel spell that would blip us back to Bastianville.
We materialized in the middle of the street in front of the castle, and Elissa and Mahini were both sitting on the steps with our children. Sorena was getting chunkier by the day, and the rolls of her legs and arms wiggled as she jerked her hands at me. Arcas stared
up at me with his serious blue-brown eyes, and he wrinkled his nose when I pressed a kiss against his forehead. Then I swooped Sorena up into my arms, and I held her on my hip as I greeted my wives.
Zenda and Akina emerged from the castle entrance a moment later, and I was swept up into their embrace before I could get a word in edgewise. It was only after everyone had received kisses and hugs that they turned their attention to the goddess standing behind me.
Tiff still held onto the horses’ reins, but she kept her gaze cast downward, and she shuffled the tip of her boot in the dirt. I could tell she still felt uncomfortable around my women because she thought they disliked her, but she would soon learn to open up and trust them. She’d have to if she wanted to form an alliance with me, and she knew it just as well as I did.
We were all on the same team now.
“I’ll send one of the servants to fetch Corvis,” Elissa said. “We’ll have everything brought inside, so you two can just relax. I’m sure you’re weary from the road.”
“Thanks.” I gave my red-haired wife a grateful smile. “I could really use a bath. I can still smell the stench of the mutated monster
we had to defeat.”
“That sounds like quite the adventure,” Mahini observed. “I’m looking forward to hearing all about it.”
“We have much to discuss,” Zenda added with a nod of agreement, and the excited twinkle in her sapphire eyes told me there was more she wasn’t saying.
We all entered the castle together once a servant emerged to take the horses’ reins, and Tiff and I headed straight to our baths.
The girls shared some clean clothes with the goddess, and a short while later, we were all reunited in the sitting room. Celeste came in to take the babies away for naptime, and a servant brought in a tray of tea and cookies.
Once everyone was settled comfortably into their seats with snacks and drinks in hand, I began to share the details of my recent mission. My women all listened attentively as I described the journey to the mountains along the northern boundary of Sorreyal, but none of them seemed surprised when I said I knew exactly where the correct cave was.
“I don’t know how, but he knew where every trap was and how to get by it,” Tiff interjected with an awed shake of her head. “You
would think he’d already done it a dozen times by how familiar he already was.”
“That’s Bash for you,” Mahini said. “You’ll get used to it.”
I continued the story about our journey through the cave tunnels, and when I described the mutated things we faced, the looks of disgust on all their beautiful faces made me chuckle in amusement. Then Tiff told them about our strategies for the bottleneck, and my women all nodded in understanding.
“Bash always has the best ideas,” Zenda noted. “It doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“There’s nothing he can’t handle,” Elissa added with a proud grin. “Neither monsters nor men can hold a candle to his greatness.”
“Or gods,” Tiff pointed out. “There is definitely something special about him…”
The women all cast me curious glances, and I could see the question burning in their eyes. They could sense the romantic tension between the Goddess of Death and me, but I didn’t want to embarrass Tiff by telling them about our kisses in front of her.
“So, what is next?” Zenda asked as she looked from Tiff to me.
“You won the battle, but I have a feeling the real war is about to
begin.”
“She’s right.” Tiff nodded. “Plague won’t stand back and do nothing for long, especially not once he finds out I survived his little trap. If he learns that I’ve allied with Bash… Well, all hell would rain down on us.”
“What do you think he will do?” Mahini frowned as she leaned forward. “What weapons does he have? How many soldiers?
Fortresses?”
“Chill out, damn.” Tiff rolled her eyes. “I can only answer one question at a time.”
“But you are going to answer them, right?” Akina crossed her arms over her chest. “You agreed to tell us everything you knew if Bash kept you safe, and he’s done his part.”
“I haven’t forgotten the details of our agreement,” Tiff sighed.
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“How long we allow you to remain is up to you,” Elissa said, and the fiery redhead fixed the goddess with a heated look. “It’s now or never. Pick your side.”
“They don’t let up, do they?” Tiff asked me as she repositioned herself in her chair. “It’s like they have no idea who I am or
something.”
“Oh, they know,” I assured her. “We’re just ready for you to follow through on our deal. Spill.”
“Alright, fine,” Tiff huffed, and she raked her hair out of her face. “Plague won’t stand back and do nothing, so we need to act fast. First and foremost, we need to protect your town from his most common large-scale attacks. Then we can separate him from his forces and corner him.”
“How do you propose to do all of that?” I arched an eyebrow.
“Your enchanter needs to add protection buffs to your walls,”
Tiff explained. “Plague will use poison and contagious diseases to destroy your water and food supply before he attacks in a frontal assault with his mutated soldiers.”
“How big is this army of his?” I pressed.
“In the thousands,” Tiff said. “He infects them and promises to cure them if they fight for him. It’s sick and twisted, but it’s helped him amass quite a strong force of infectious fighters.”
“Where is this army located?” Mahini asked. “Where is his homebase?”
“Oh, hold on!” Zenda jumped up and ran out of the room, but she returned a moment later with a map of Sorreyal and the realms beyond.
The Zaborian historian spread the parchment across the coffee table, and we all leaned in as Tiff pointed at a spot. It appeared to be an equal distance from the capital and the boundary between Sorreyal and the Southern Wild Lands, but it was an area I hadn’t explored much before. I was surprised by how close they were to Vallenwood and Bastianville, and I worked the muscle in my jaw as I pictured my enemy’s army sweeping across the kingdom.
I wouldn’t let it come to that, but I knew I had the entire realm standing behind me in this fight. Even the places beyond Sorreyal were loyal to me, and if I had enough time to prepare, I could amass a devastating force the likes of which had never been seen before.
“We always met in a small forest village,” Tiff continued to explain. “There wasn’t a lot of foot traffic because it was well out of the way of Vallenwood and the other larger holdings. I think it’s technically in Bullard’s territory, but the town has mostly been forgotten.”
“The perfect location for a god to hide in,” I said. “But that explains a lot. He managed to get down to the Kotar Desert and
back faster than I expected.”
“One of his attempts to enlarge his army even further,” Tiff said. “He had this warlord dude causing chaos, and he planned on swooping in to fix it so all the tribes would follow him.”
“Luckily, Bash already handled that mess,” Akina pointed out.
“Now, Plague doesn’t have access to the creatures of legend summoned from our nightmares.”
“Yep.” Tiff flashed the former desert dweller a bright smile.
“Killing his pet summoner wizard pissed him off, and he retreated back to Sorreyal to figure out a different approach. Somewhere along the way, he found out about the king’s new magic crystal, and that became Plague’s new obsession.”
“Yet again, Bash foiled his plans.” Mahini lifted her chin in pride. “We’ve been one step ahead of him this whole time.”
“What do you mean?” Tiff frowned as her emerald eyes snapped to my face. “You had something to do with the crystal’s disappearance?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged as a sheepish smile spread across my face. “I couldn’t just stand back and let Plague get his hands on something like that, now could I?”
“You realize my failure to retrieve the crystal was what led to Plague wanting me dead, right?” Tiff scoffed in disbelief. “I can’t believe you kept that from me this whole time. I bet you know exactly where it is, but I doubt you ever planned on telling me anything about it.”
“Chill out,” I chuckled. “We only recently became allies, and I’m still not certain you’re completely on my side. This isn’t a game, and you can’t manipulate me into protecting you without showing me loyalty in return. I don’t owe you anything.”
“I know, I know,” Tiff said in a hurried manner. “I didn’t mean to piss you off, it just surprised me. I’m sorry. I owe you my life, and it’s not something I can forget about. You don’t have to tell me where the crystal is. I don’t care anymore as long as Plague can’t get his hands on it.”
“That I can promise you,” I assured her. “You’re safe here with me, and Plague can’t get to you anymore. It’s okay to relax.”
“Maybe.” Tiff worked the muscle in her jaw as she looked around at me and my women. “You’re really going to let me stay here?”
“Sure.” I looked around at the other women to make sure they agreed, and I got confirmation nods all around.
Even if Tiff wasn’t one hundred percent trustworthy yet, it would be better to keep her close by so we could watch her more easily. Until the goddess proved she was on my side for good, then I’d keep one eye open even if only for the sake of my women’s peace of mind. I truly hoped she would show where her loyalty really lay soon, but I wasn’t going to push her.
I knew she would come around eventually.
We ate dinner together while we continued to discuss the details of my recent mission, and Nameless joined us with a huge chunk of dried meat hanging out of the corner of his mouth. Tiff made an effort to say something nice to each of the women between bites, and I could tell they were slowly warming up to her. They wanted her on our side just as much as I did, but none of us were fool enough to think it was guaranteed yet.
The Goddess of Death was an enigma I wanted to solve, and I was grateful for the opportunity to dig into her mysteries even further.
“Um, Bash, can I talk to you in private for a moment?” Zenda asked once the dinner dishes had been cleared away.
The urgency and excitement in her sapphire eyes had me leaping out of my chair without a second thought, and I followed the beautiful Zaborian into the study. She turned to face me as soon as the door clicked shut, and she held out one of the amulets in the palm of her hand. It was the pair to the one I wore around my neck, so I pulled the chain over my head and mimicked her.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a low conspiratorial voice.
“I figured it out!” Zenda exclaimed, and she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet for a second before she calmed herself.
“Once we cast the memory spell on the amulets, all you have to do is picture where you want to go as you perform the motions.”
“So, the memory spell will be permanent after casting it once?”
I could feel my heart race increasing as the thought of boundless freedom at my fingertips swept over me.
“It will act as a permanent enchantment on the amulets themselves,” Zenda confirmed. “But I think you have to be the one to cast it so the magic is tied to your memories.”
“Alright,” I said with enthusiasm. “What do I do?”
Zenda grinned like she’d been waiting forever for me to say exactly that, and she pulled one of Lord Havers’ books off the desk.
She flipped through the pages until she landed about halfway through, and she slid her finger down the paper to the line she was searching for. When she gestured for me to read it, I cleared my throat and spoke in a loud, clear voice.
“Tempe praesens non durabit, meade tempe praeteritum,” I intoned as accurately as I could. “Tempus non habet sensum sine memoriis cordis.”
A grayish-blue smoke burst from the palms of our hands to wrap around the amulets, and the gemstones at the centers absorbed the spell like dry soil soaking up rainfall. A moment later, it was all over, and I almost felt like I’d imagined the whole thing.
“You saw that, too, right?” I asked the historian.
“Of course.” Zenda grinned. “Now, you just have to try it out.”
“Where to?” I asked with a sideways smirk.
“Let’s go see our co-queen sisters,” Zenda suggested.
“I definitely have a strong memory of the Vallenwood palace, so it should be easy enough to get us there.” I slipped the chain of the amulet over my head, and Zenda did the same with the other one, but then she accepted my offered hand. “Here goes nothing.”
I closed my eyes and envisioned the throne room of the golden-walled palace, and the image of the two distinctly different beauties claiming the thrones readily came to mind. Then I performed the motions for the fast travel amulets, and Zenda and I dematerialized in the castle study before reappearing in the middle of the audience chamber.
Several surprised gasps surrounded us, and I realized we’d blipped directly into the middle of a crowd of petitioners. I flashed the audience an apologetic smile as I gave everyone a friendly wave, but then I heard the sound of musical laughter floating above the heads of the crowd.
“Bash!” Eva laughed. “What a lovely surprise!”
“We didn’t expect you anytime soon,” Caelia added.
Zenda and I crossed the distance to the platform, and the two queens descended the steps of the dais to give us warm hugs.
“Tell us everything!” Eva urged.
“Right now?” I asked as I cast a look around the crowded throne room.
“Good point,” the blonde queen allowed. “Give us a moment to clear the room.”
Zenda and I nodded in agreement before we moved over to the eaves of the room to listen, and the two queens elegantly handled the remaining petitioners before we all retired to a sitting room. Servants bustled around the room preparing tea and snacks for the queens and us, but once we were all taken care of, they left us in privacy.
“How did you get here like that?” Caelia asked with wide eyes.
“I thought you could only recall yourself to the other amulet, and I can see you are both wearing them.”
“Zenda figured out a way to get past the amulet’s limitations,” I explained. “Now, I can fast travel anywhere I remember being.”
“I knew you could do it.” Eva grinned. “And now, we won’t have to miss you for very long ever again.”
“I hated being separated from the two of you,” I said. “I don’t want that to ever happen again.”
“Good.” The blonde queen placed a pointed hand on her growing belly. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on any important moments, after all.”
“You are getting so close to the birth of our baby,” I noted. “Is there anything else you need before they come?”
“I’m still waiting for my father to arrive,” Eva said. “But once he is here, I will feel ready to give birth.”
“Every day I watch Eva waddle around makes me grateful I’m not as far along as she is,” Caelia said as she cast her co-queen a teasing smile. “One of us has to remain mobile, after all.”
“Just you wait,” Eva teased back. “I won’t feel any sympathy when you are walking like a duck, too.”
We stayed with the two queens for as long as we could, but I didn’t want to leave Tiff alone with the other women for long. Even though we were beginning to be friends and allies, I knew my wives were still a little untrusting of the deadly raven-haired beauty. At least I didn’t have to leave Vallenwood for long, and I could always come back in a blip.
Zenda and I returned to Bastianville with the sun arching toward the western horizon, and we returned to the study like we’d never left in the first place. The others were all sitting around the fireplace, and a tense silence filled the air. Tiff sat with a stiff back, and her hands were folded in her lap as she kept her eyes locked on her own fingers. Mahini and Akina sat near the door, and the heated look they sent in Tiff’s direction alerted me to the discomfort they felt in the presence of the goddess.
That would all change in time, but for right now, they just needed some space from each other. Fortunately, my castle provided plenty of room for everyone, so it was as simple as taking Tiff into a different area.
“Hey, Tiff, can I talk to you?” I asked in a casual tone as I gestured toward the hallway behind me.
“Do you need assistance?” Akina asked as she half-rose from her chair. “An extra pair of eyes watching your back?”
“I’m good for now,” I chuckled. “But thanks. I’ll be back in a bit, I just want to show her around.”
Mahini, Akina, and Elissa’s eyes followed the goddess as she crossed the room to me, and I gave them all a comforting smile before I pulled Tiff into the hallway.
“Thanks for rescuing me,” Tiff sighed. “I thought my head was going to catch on fire with the glares they were giving me.”
“You’ll have to figure out how to get along with them,” I pointed out. “They’re not going anywhere, and neither are you.”
“Look, I don’t have to stay here if you don’t want me around.”
Tiff came to a halt behind me, and her face became a defensive mask. “No sweat off my back if I have to keep going it alone.”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all,” I said, and I reached for her hand. “I want you here, that is, as long as it’s what you want, too. I can’t force you to do anything.”
Tiff eyed me cautiously for a long moment before she accepted my hand, and the soft skin of her fingers slid over the callused pads of my digits in a tantalizing manner. I led her up the stairs to the second floor, and I gave her a small tour of the essentials. The guest room she’d used before would become her own personal space, and it was a comfortable distance from the nursery below us and the women’s rooms on the third floor.
“I hope everything is to your liking,” I said. “Let me know if you need anything to make you feel more at home.”
“You’re really going to let me stay here?” Tiff narrowed her emerald eyes as she searched my face for any signs of deceit. “This isn’t a trap?”
“If I wanted to trap you or hurt you, I would have done it by now,” I pointed out. “Come on, relax. We’re on the same side now, right?”
Tiff merely nodded silently before she stepped into her room, but she flashed me a grateful smile before she closed the door
between us. I returned to the sitting room to talk to the women about their feelings regarding the goddess, but I knew they would be fast friends soon enough.
“You can trust her,” I said in an encouraging tone after they’d all explained their apprehension. “And if you can’t do that yet, just trust in me. I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to our family or the kingdom, and I am in complete control of this situation. Tiff and I are allies, and while she’s proven herself to me, I know it will still take some time for the rest of you to see it for yourselves.”
“I’ll relent my suspicions for now,” Mahini allowed. “If you trust her, then I do, too.”
“I agree,” Akina said.
“I kind of like her,” Elissa said with a shrug. “She has fire.”
“That’s why she makes me nervous,” Akina retorted in a dry tone.
“The goddess will make a valuable addition to the team,”
Zenda said in a matter-of-fact tone. “We are lucky to have her on our side for the war ahead.”
“Our arsenal continues to grow,” I agreed. “I know we can defeat Plague if we all work together. Nothing can stand in our way
when we’re operating as a team.”
“Not dragons or pirates,” Mahini said.
“Sea monsters or zealots,” Elissa added.
“Nor nightmare creatures or powerful wizards,” Akina continued.
“Nothing in this world can stand in our way,” Zenda finished with a confident gleam in her eyes.
It felt good to have everyone on the same page, and I went to bed that night a happy man. I had the fight of a lifetime ahead of me, but fortunately, I had more than enough lifetimes to work with. The God of the Plague was going down once and for all, and Tiff would be safe from him by my side.
A knock suddenly sounded on the door, and I blinked my eyes open sleepily as I tried to figure out what woke me up. When the knocking repeated, I pushed myself out of bed with a groan, and I pulled open the portal with a yawn.
I froze with my mouth still hanging open when I saw Tiff standing before me with a black cloak wrapped around her shoulders, and the intense desire burning in her emerald eyes immediately set my blood on fire.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Tiff pushed aside the edges of her cloak to reveal her naked body, and I raked my gaze over her for the first time. My eyes swept over her pale skin, the soft pink nipples adorning rounded breasts, the dip of her waist above the curves of her hips, and finally, the dark downy fuzz covering the mound between her legs.
Without answering my question, Tiff stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. Her head tilted back, and her lips parted, but I hesitated to claim what she was offering.
“This means complete and total loyalty,” I said in a serious tone.
“Of course.” Tiff fluttered her eyelashes. “You saved my life, Bash. I owe you everything.”
“I need one hundred percent honesty,” I continued in an adamant voice. “No more secrets.”
“I am entirely yours and only yours,” Tiff assured me. “My secrets are your secrets now.”
“Alright, good.” I smirked. “Carry on.”
The Goddess of Death grinned from ear to ear before she pressed herself up onto her tiptoes, and she crushed her lips against
mine with the passion she’d been restraining for weeks. I moaned as our tongues danced, and my hands roamed down her sides until I gripped her hips in each hand. I pulled her toward me until the hardened lump in my pants pressed against her groin, and Tiff gasped in surprise.
“Is that…?” She bit her bottom lip as her emerald eyes flicked to my crotch.
“Why don’t you come find out?” I taunted, and I pulled her into my bedroom before I pushed the door shut with my foot.
Tiff nodded with wide emerald eyes full of desire, and she didn’t hesitate as I led her toward the bed. Once we stood beside the mattress, I pushed the cloak off her shoulders and stared at her in all her glory.
“Like what you see?” Tiff purred, but I could see the flash of insecurity in her eyes.
“I love it,” I assured her.
“Prove it,” she countered.
“Oh, I plan on it,” I chuckled.
Our lips met again, and Tiff began to pull on my clothes. I yanked my shirt over my head and wiggled out of my boots and
pants as fast as I could, but once we were both naked, we fell onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. I pushed Tiff onto her back, and I explored her entire body with lips, tongue, and fingers until she was gasping and panting. When I went lower and lower, I felt her muscles stiffen, and I paused with my head above her crevice.
“May I kiss you…” I said, and I ran a finger up her wet slit.
“Here?”
“I-I-I guess,” Tiff gasped out. “I, um, I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“You’re a virgin?” I sat bolt upright and looked at her in surprise, and a dark crimson hue darkened her cheeks.
“Well, I was basically a kid when I came here, and then it wasn’t like I could trust anyone. Plus, my powers… Why, is that bad?” Tiff bit her bottom lip in that self-conscious way she had, and I wanted nothing more than to pull her out of her shy shell.
“Not at all,” I assured her. “I’m glad I can show you how wonderful it can feel when it’s done right. Just don’t lose too much control over your powers while I work my magic, okay?”
“I won’t,” Tiff promised in a breathless voice, and she spread her legs open the slightest bit, but it was enough of an invitation for
me.
I got right to the heart of things, and I wrapped my arms around her legs to hold them open while I licked and sucked on her lower lips. Tiff gasped and twitched every time I flicked my tongue over her clit, and I started to tease and taunt her until I could feel her aching for release.
Then I slid a finger inside her tight, clenching tunnel as I sucked her clit between my lips at the same time, and Tiff’s breath exploded in a shuddering gasp. Her legs shook as her eyes glazed over, but I didn’t relent my attack on her wet, pink pussy until her juices were dripping down my chin.
When the muscles in her lower half finally relaxed again, I rose up onto my knees between her thighs, and I grinned down at the flushed-faced goddess with her raven hair splayed out across the sheets.
“I didn’t think sex would feel that good,” Tiff admitted with a shy smile.
“I’m not done yet,” I said. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I’m ready for anything,” Tiff confirmed. “As long as it’s with you.”
I didn’t need any further encouragement, and I rubbed the tip of my throbbing cock against her wet opening. Tiff stiffened slightly as I pressed into her, but I inched my way slowly, bit by bit, and I pulled back every time she tensed. The goddess began to relax, and once I felt her tunnel unclench, I pushed the rest of the way past the barrier of her hymen.
“Bash!” Tiff gasped and clutched at my shoulders until her nails dug into my skin, and once I was fully sheathed in her tight pussy, I held motionless for a long moment to fully savor the sensation.
I claimed her mouth once more, and our tongues roamed each other’s teeth like hungry snakes searching for prey. Tiff arched her back and pressed her breasts against my chest, and I wrapped an arm around her lower back to hold her close to me. Then I began to stroke in and out of her tight tunnel. I could feel the tingling sensation in my balls beginning to build in intensity, but I wanted to send her over the edge of bliss again before I let go of my own self-control.
“Oh, Bash, oh, my god, it feels so good!” Tiff stared up at me with a mixture of shock and excitement. “I-I didn’t know it would feel like this.”
“The best is yet to come,” I said. “Just wait and see.”
“I believe you.” Tiff bit her bottom lip, and her eyes filled with emotion. “I trust you. I… I think I love you, Bash.”
“I know. I feel the same way.” I grinned. “We’re in this together now, no take backsies.”
“I am yours,” Tiff breathed, and she wrapped her legs around my waist until she could lock her ankles behind my back.
I groaned as her pussy tightened around my cock, and I lost myself in the sensations of my thrusts for a moment as the intensity in my body continued to build. I wanted to hold off my own desire for as long as possible, but when Tiff began to shake with another orgasm, I lost all self-control.
“Oh, fuck,” I growled as I slammed into her faster and faster.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Tiff flung her head backward, and her mouth hung open as a silent moan escaped her. “Don’t stop!”
“Cum for me,” I ordered. “You can do it.”
“I’ll do anything you want,” Tiff panted. “Just tell me how.”
I grabbed her by the wrists, and I held her arms over her head as I leaned back, but then I increased the pace of my thrusts until she was gasping with each stroke. Her breasts bounced in sync with my motions, and her light pink nipples had hardened into points.
Tiff’s emerald eyes went unfocused, and her entire body began to shake.
The Goddess of Death moved her hips in perfect rhythm with mine until we both froze in an explosion of bliss.
I erupted deep inside her like a valve being opened on the Hoover Dam, and I grunted as spurt after spurt burst from my shaft.
My hips twitched, and I drew a shuddering breath, but Tiff shivered and moaned beneath me for a moment longer. We finally collapsed into a sweaty, breathless pile, and the goddess laid her head on my chest.
“Wow,” Tiff breathed. “That was amazing.”
“That’s just the beginning,” I promised.
The Goddess of Death was mine at last, and the God of the Plague didn’t stand a chance against our unified powers. I would defeat the sickly bastard once and for all, and my women and I would rule over this world in peace.
The God of Time would keep on winning.
No matter what.
End of Book 13